After Golden Week, Adseard will start.
Aru=Kata, in which I have to perform, is during the closing ceremony, so recently I've just been passing the time doing random things, since the classes are shortened.
Yesterday, after Shirayuki went back to Academy Island...she said she had forgotten something, and she went back to her own dormitory.
And before long, she sent me an SMS.
"Kin-chan, I'm sorry about tonight. You must be angry. I can't face you right now, so I'll be staying over here for today."
To be honest, I've had enough of continuously guarding her against a non-existent entity...
And really, I left her completely unguarded at night, and still, nothing happened, so-
"I'm not angry. Let's just count that as over and done with. There's no need to worry about it anymore, alright? Also, if I stop being your bodyguard in the middle of the assignment, Masters will get angry, so I'll continue with it. Tomorrow, after you're finished with your committee work, call me."
-I sent her that message, and went to sleep, alone.
However, I couldn't sleep at all, last night. It was partially because I was feeling regret about the incident at the artificial beach, but also, for some reason...I was extremely uneasy.
But I don't know why I was so uneasy.
...And so, because of this, I didn't get enough sleep at all.
Right now, I was holding back my drowsiness and punching tickets with Muto at the auditorium doors, which had already been converted into the stage for the Adseard opening ceremony.
This auditorium may have many doors, but because it's located deep within Butei High, I don't need to act as security at the same time.
And the door we were responsible for was the only exit to the media lounge.
So I couldn't skip even if I wanted to.
Even though, in the period before the opening ceremony, several camera-carrying and headset-wearing journalists had hurriedly passed through...
"...The song we're performing, 'Who Shot the Flash', is a cover version, and it's also a copied version. Added to this, the lyrics were replaced, right? Changing it to that degree is just a joke."
Muto, bored out of his mind from the work, was sitting on a folding chair, complaining.
"Why did they choose that song?"
I, who had nothing to do as well, asked him.
"You know how the 'Bang Ba-Ba-Ba-Bang' lyrics were the only ones that weren't changed? It's because they thought it sounded like gunshots."
"Ha...as expected of Butei High, people will..."
I struggled to hold in my yawn, and looked up towards the sky, which was also clear, today.
"Anyways, in the end, did Hotogi-san...join the cheerleaders for Aru=Kata?"
"Shirayuki? No, she didn't."
"Is that so-"
Muto suddenly started dragging his words, as if he was feeling a profound regret.
"Kinji, now that I think about it...you're a bodyguard for Hotogi-san right now, right?"
"That's right. Along with Aria."
"Hotogi-san, even while protected, doesn't feel strange at all. After all, she's one of those people that people would give anything to protect."
"I don't really think she needs to be protected."
She's able to fight on equal terms with Aria, after all.
"...Then...Kinji. Who is it?"
"What?"
"I'm asking, as for Shirayuki and Aria. Which one is your type?"
"Huh?"
My eyebrows shot up.
"Neither of them", before I could say that...Muto, with a clatter, turned his folding chair to face me.
"It's Aria, right?"
"Why would it be Aria?"
...Why did I pause, there?
"About that... Well, I was thinking that you get along better with girls that looked younger."
"Who would be able to get along with that lion cub. I'm a human, you know?"
"Before, when Aria was talking with normal girls during school...all she could talk about was you, you know? You guys are lovers, right?"
"Impossible."
"Th-then, Kinji...Do you want to have a relationship with Hotogi-san, then?"
"...You know something? Why does even Muto have to guess about these sort of things?"
Thinking back to what happened with Shirayuki last night, I automatically became angry.
"Hmph, well...Aren't Butei supposed to be infinitely curious?"
"...Curiosity killed the cat. Even that is written on the Butei textbooks."
I tossed those words down, and slumped down on the desk, not willing to answer anymore questions.
"Come on, answer me. If you don't, I'll get a 4 ton truck and squash you to death."
"Ooh, why don't you try it out? I'll meet you with my Kinji Model Beretta."
I used a manner of speaking akin to those in Assault, and entered my Ignore Muto Mode.
Even with this, Muto didn't give up.
With a, "Come-on-and-tell-me-already" expression, he continued to stare at me.
1 minute.
2 minutes...
When the third minute had elapsed, Muto's spiky head bowed down towards me...
"--I'm sorry!"
"What's this, all of a sudden? You're too loud."
"I, nearly became a bastard!"
"?"
"Because I tried to get you to like Aria. Also...I was praying that you could get along well with the girl you like."
Muto, finishing his sentence, folded his arms and looked up resolutely.
...I don't get it.
I don't get any of them.
I wasn't willing to return to those topics, and Muto seemed to feel the same way, so we started talking about music, movies, and motorcycles, slowly whittling away the time.
At 4:00, Muto's class had ended. It was only me left, in front of the unused door. I had nothing to do, so I just sat there, willing the time to pass.
...Nod...Nod.
In the sunlight, I was sitting on the folding chair, like that...I was totally burned out from my continuous guarding, and I hadn't gotten enough sleep...Finally, I descended into a haze.
In my dream I saw Aria crying while chasing a peach bun, rolling down a ramp. When she had accidentally fallen inside the water...
"Hey, Kinji--!!"
Thud!
With Muto grabbing me by the shoulder, I woke up.
"--?"
This isn't good, I had completely fallen asleep.
The clock on the wall had advanced steadily while I was asleep.
It was already 5:00.
Did Muto run back here? It looks like he's out of breath.
Is he angry because I fell asleep? -- That doesn't seem to be it. What happened?
"What is it?"
I wrinkled my eyebrows--
Muto pointed at the cellphone in my pocket.
"Situation D7, we have a Situation D7."
-- With a start, I woke up.
Situation D -- It's a code especially for Adseard, one that means something has happened within Butei High.
And, for it to reach D7, it means: "The current events are not clear, only the people receiving this message can act. Also, to protect the target's safety, do not let this get out. Butei High will continue on with Adseard as planned. The incident must be solved secretly." -- a situation like that.
I took out my cellphone, and noticed that I really did receive a message from Butei High while I was asleep.
What on Earth has happened?
Not even leaving me time to read the message, Muto whispered into my ear, saying,
"Hotogi-san seems to have disappeared. We haven't been able to reach her since noon."
"-- Disappeared?"
I hurriedly confirmed the contents of Butei High's message --
and noticed that Shirayuki had sent me one new message.
And the contents --
froze the blood running through my body.
"Kin-chan, I'm sorry. Farewell."
-- This is too weird.
For me, her childhood friend, I understood. These words were too strange.
Because even if she was brooding about the events of yesterday, and leaving home, it's impossible that she would do this.
What had happened at the man-made beach should have been resolved by the SMS I had sent yesterday.
I wasn't really sure what Shirayuki was thinking, but she's always been absolutely obedient to me. If I say it's over, then it means it's over. She won't ever speak about that again. She'll pretend it never happened.
Also, Shirayuki's sense of responsibility is very strong. She would definitely put her work -- her work for Adseard first, she would definitely wait until the closing ceremony is finished. And so, because she suddenly disappeared, Butei High felt the need to give the order for a Situation D.
I understand completely.
This is not an ordinary disappearance.
Something dangerous must have happened to her -- !
Letting things become the way they are now -- whatever I say, are all just excuses.
I never could have imagined that Shirayuki was in danger.
And even Aria, who was so alert in the beginning, gave up on the assignment.
But even though that was the case --
I was too stupid.
I was too careless.
Shirayuki might really have been targeted.
I thought back to what I had screamed at Aria only 2 days earlier.
"Just hearing that "Durandal" could appear is already enough to make you think "I hope that he appears." And without knowing it, you're deluding yourself into thinking that the "enemy" is here!"
That...Maybe I had gotten it the wrong way around.
I was the one that was thinking "I hope he doesn't exist."...and without knowing it, I had treated him as "Non-existent".
I rushed through the road leading up to Butei High --
I knew nothing about where she might be, so I could only search this one, small road.
I had split up with Muto to look for her, but, where on Earth do I start?
The me as of right now doesn't have a clue.
But this is Situation D7. If I start asking random people, I might be putting Shirayuki in danger.
When I called Shirayuki, it didn't connect, so I called Aria. However, she, for whatever reason, didn't pick up. Her phone should be ringing.
(Aria...!)
If I had done what we should have been doing from the very beginning, and been protecting Shirayuki, this wouldn't have happened.
However, the reason she's gone is me.
I didn't take her at her word, and now...because I didn't trust her, these were the consequences --
(I...aren't I the most retarded, idiotic, piece of trash!)
Shirayuki -- said she "trusted" me. From the night I started to protect her.
I trust you.
She said that, clearly...
But, I betrayed her trust--!
Like a dog, I searched every road, every corner.
But time continued to pass, while I hadn't found anything.
I...Can I not do anything?
The me right now --
I can't even protect one girl?
Why -- am I -- so useless!
(But...Even if I am useless, I still have to do something!)
Even if I have to turn this island upside down, I have to continue to look for her.
Search. Only that. That's all I can do.
Shirayuki.
I'm not a hero like you said I was.
I'm a scumbag that lies sleeping while you're in danger.
However, even if I'm a scumbag, even if I can't change that, the trust that you put in me, I have to repay it!
-- If I can't even do that, I'm not worth of even being a scumbag!
While I was running around the southern corner of Butei High -- my phone rang.
In one movement, I took it out and pressed the answer key.
"Kinji-san. This is Reki. I'm watching you right now."
-- Reki!
"A Situation D7 seems to have occurred. I looked at my phone during a break in the Snipe competition."
"Ah, yeah."
Now that I think about it, Reki is the Japanese representative at Adseard.
And I could hear through the phone, faint voices shouting: "What are you doing, Reki!" "You could've gotten a world record!"
Whatever Reki was saying was overshadowed by those voices.
"Reki, where are you right now? It's too noisy over there, I didn't hear what you said just now."
"I am on the seventh floor of Snipe."
"Snipe--"
Hearing that, I turned northwards.
Snipe is next to the underground sniper range and is situated at the northern reaches of the island, a large building.
"I'm sorry about the noise. That had nothing to do with Shirayuki, don't worry."
"What? What's going on over there!"
"I left the field in the middle of the competition, so I was disqualified. Everybody is extremely angry now."
From the phone, I heard a *thud* from a window being opened.
And a Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Woah, those voices from just now flared up again.
Reki--!?
When I was about to call out her name, *crack*!
A fragment splintered off the lamppost next to me.
"Kinji-san, please calm down. When people become upset, their effectiveness is decreased by half."
Ju...just now, was that something that Reki shot?
From the Snipe building to here... It has to be at least 2 kilometers, right?
"That's exactly what you are right now. Have you calmed down?"
"Ah... Yeah."
Kch, I could hear her loading another bullet.
Talking on the phone--
and shooting with such an outdated SVD sniper rifle. How can she still be so accurate?
"I don't know where Shirayuki is -- but the currents don't feel right. Check gutter 9."
On the outskirts of this artificial island, there are 28 gutters.
They're used to control the water levels on the island, holes that water can be pumped out of.
"Wh-which way?"
I had just asked, when
"I am...a single bullet."
The only response was Reki's habit when concentrating, those mantra-like words.
Crack.
On the asphalt a little away from my foot, a deep mark appeared, created by a sniper rifle.
Crack. Crack. Crack Crack.
Wha...What's going on?
Reki was using the SVD's semi-auto to write something on the road.
When it was finished --
"Please go investigate in that direction. I will continue to look out for Shirayuki-san from here."
--it was an arrow sign that would fit exactly within a circle with a diameter of 30 centimeters.
I didn't notice anything out of ordinary with the flow in the gutters...
But next to the grating of gutter 9, I found signs that someone had removed it and put it back on.
From that distance, she was able to see such minute changes within the currents... Hey, this isn't the time to be stunned by Reki's superhuman sight.
I flipped open the Butei handbook I always kept with me, and checked to see where this gutter led to.
"The underground warehouse--!?"
My own words caused me to start sweating.
This wasn't because I was running. It was a cold sweat.
In the extremely dangerous Tokyo Butei High, this, along with Assault and Masters was recognized as the third danger zone...the underground warehouse.
The underground warehouse is just a pretty name we use for outsiders' benefit.
That place is actually--
the armory.
This isn't good.
This is horrible.
I may not be Aria, but even I get a bad feeling about this.
While Butei High remains ignorant... Something is going to happen.
And Shirayuki has been sucked into the middle of it--
Under Butei High, the rooms are multi-layered, like cabins in a ship. From the second floor below ground and onwards, it's all below water. I ran down the stairs, rushed towards the elevator, disregarding the forbidden access sign, and punched in the emergency code--
But, the elevator didn't move.
That's weird.
This isn't normal. I know that much, already.
I stepped into the Pressure Room, and pulled the cover of the circuit box for the elevator.
The emergency stairs, leading into the floor like a manhole, was meant to be used in case of flooding, so the walls were made of three metal plates.
I entered in the confirmation password, inserted my keycard, and used the magnetic IC inside the Butei handbook to open the door, and ran the stairs down to the floor below--!
I also used the emergency stairs for the boiler room below, and that way, I reached the 3rd floor, the 4th floor, the 5th floor, continuously going down.
The stairs were already rusty, and I fell while hurrying down. I received many scratches and bruises while sliding down.
...Ouch.
It hurts.
But, I don't have time for this right now! If there's even a 1% chance that Shirayuki is here, I have to continue going down!
For her sake. Shirayuki, who trusts me implicitly -- I have to save her--!
Thinking this way, I finally reached the 7th floor--
The underground warehouse.
This is the deepest part of Butei High.
The place that gutter 9 links to.
Of course, this isn't a place one can enter just by going through the gutter...but if one tries, it is possible. And also, the students regularly say that Butei High, because it's such a big place, doesn't have good security against intruders. Everyone just assumes that nobody is stupid enough to try and enter an island filled to the brim with hundreds of Butei.
After reaching one of the corners of the underground warehouse, an unused records room...I noticed something.
--Darkness.
I opened the door noiselessly, peering out into the corridor, but everything was still pitch black.
The electricity's been cut.
I took out my cellphone, planning to call Muto and Reki -- But for some reason, probably because the signal transmitter inside the room was broken, I had no signal.
Damn it.
I was angry because I couldn't even predict this happening.
This isn't like a game, flashlights or walkie-talkies won't appear out of nowhere.
But even if that's the case, going up to the surface to call for back up is a waste of time.
More important than communication, than light, is time.
I don't know whether this decision is correct.
But, Shirayuki might be hurt right now. All because I was so stupid. The only thing I can do is save her immediately! Anything else is unimportant!
I tried to lessen the noise of my footsteps as I walked through the halls, looking for a trace of Shirayuki.
The corridors were very wide, and on each side were rows and rows of ammunition racks.
I used the light of my cellphone to take a look at my Butei handbook. In front of me should be an empty space, much like a hall.
It's the storage place for the underground warehouse's most dangerous armaments. The room called the big warehouse.
From there...
"..."
I could sense somebody.
There are people arguing.
I may not be able to hear what they're saying, but there are definitely people there.
I reached for my Beretta--
I brushed the handle, and then frowned.
In the red light illuminating the darkness, I could see warnings like "KEEP OUT" or "DANGER" written all around.
This is an ammunition dump.
If a bullet accidentally hits something dangerous, and it explodes -- Butei High would be blown away.
That isn't an exaggeration.
Academy Island would become just like a ship that got hit by a torpedo. There are armaments in here easily able to cause that level of destruction. Also, the armaments in here are stored messily.
If an explosion sets off any secondary explosions, then Butei High's faculty, alumni, and every competitor in Adseard -- the elite Butei from all over the world -- will be slaughtered.
That isn't it. A lot of journalists and the like are here to report on Adseard. If an incident like several hundred Butei getting blown to pieces actually occurs, they will most definitely get the news out.
...In short, I cannot use my gun.
I felt for the butterfly knife concealed among my clothes, and opened it, soundlessly.
Illuminated under the red light, the knife edge was glowing.
The structure of the butterfly knife makes it easy for it to make a lot of noise, so it didn't fit a situation like this.
I can't wave it around, or I'll have to keep it.
Thinking this way, and using the knife edge as a mirror to look around corners...I took in a sharp intake of breath.
Under the red light, around 50 meters away from me, next to a mountain of ammunition--
stood Shirayuki in her Miko garments.
Shirayuki was talking to someone, next to the carelessly stacked...or maybe moved...stack of ammunition.
I wanted to charge in, but I quelled the impulse. I have to understand the situation first. And I can't be sure, but that unknown person might be pointing a gun at Shirayuki as we speak.
I stuck my body as close to the corner as it would go, and listened calmly.
"Why do you want me, Durandal. Why do you need, someone like me...a person without any special traits of any kind."
Shirayuki's voice was full of fear.
--Durandal--!
So, he really does...exist...!
"There are some people who keep themselves hidden in the shadows. And as for the people on the surface, they don't know the darkness within the darkness."
It was a strange voice. It was masculine, and the wording was ancient, yet -- it was a girl's voice.
"There are those who fade into the darkness, ready to attack. But in a battle, those that hide themselves deepest are the victors. My great ancestor was facing that darkness -- which also means, she was part of the light. And so, my ancestor was tricked by the darkness."
"What are you saying...?"
"The enemy is already in the darkness, training ability users. And so, we, unbeknownst to our enemies, have to train stronger ability users -- those diamonds in the rough -- So, the fact that we we reach our hands out towards the gemstones that that defective Butei are protecting, is something completely natural. This isn't strange at all. Shirayuki."
"Defective...Butei...? Who are you talking about?"
From within Shirayuki's voice came a hint of anger.
And the girl she was facing adopted a mocking tone.
"The Holmes girl was extremely troublesome -- but as I predicted, the person who finally chased that girl away is Tohyama Kinji. If that guy isn't a defective product, then what is he?"
"Kin-chan -- Kin-chan is not defective!"
"But in reality, he was unable to protect you."
"Th...that isn't it! Kin-chan didn't lose to someone like you. I-I just didn't want to trouble him...so I didn't call out to him!"
"You didn't want to trouble him, huh. But Shirayuki. You also played in my plan, you know?"
"Me...?"
"You remember that phone call, right?"
The voice that came out of the darkness nearly made my heart stop.
Right now, is she mimicking my voice!?
"Come quickly, Shirayuki! Come! I'm in the shower!"
"--!"
I realized that Shirayuki was so stunned, she couldn't speak a word.
That girl seemed to think her reaction was very amusing, and so she continued to speak,
"Holmes set up several traps and probes -- but the person observing your room, was me. I saw that you were in the living room, and that the light had gone off in Tohyama's shower... Also, Kanzaki Aria had just arrived. How could I have left such a perfect opportunity alone, knowing your personality?"
"It was you who pretended to be Kin-chan and goaded me into action -- and Aria and Kin-chan's relationship...you destroyed it...?"
"Things just went downhill from there. Within the space of a few days, Aria had left you two."
She...was watching us?
Has she...always been hiding around us?
--Durandal.
She was at our side. At Aria's and mine, as well as -- her target, Shirayuki's, side.
She got rid of Aria, the main protective force. And then she waited for me to show an opening.
And now, she wants to take Shirayuki away...!
"Come with me, Shirayuki. But...before you can become one of us, you should first let go of Tohyama. The person that deserves your devotion is someone else."
Her next words rendered my mind a complete blank.
"Right now, I'm going to bring you to -- I-U."
I-U.
The organization that made Kanzaki Kanae -- Aria's mother, carry 864 years worth of crime, the people behind Mine Riko Lupin the 4th, the "Butei Killer"--
Who killed my brother--!
Nii-san.
Ever since I was little I respected the person who was stronger than anyone, who was smarter than anyone, and who could still be so compassionate -- Nii-san.
But Nii-san, by those bastards...!
I understood. I understood that my blood was going into a frenzy.
Clenched in my fist, the butterfly knife that my brother had given me was trembling.
Click. Click...
"There's one more thing."
The girl's voice became slightly clearer.
"In this matter, I made one miscalculation. I read your personality wrong. I thought that you had a very obedient character."
"...What is that supposed to mean...?"
"'I will hand myself in to you without struggling. But in exchange, do not hurt any Butei High students, especially Tohyama Kinji.' -- is what you agreed. And I kept to your conditions. However, you secretly -- called him."
Her last words, changed their target.
Clearly, she was speaking directly with me.
--So I've been noticed already--
This thought flashing into my mind, I—
"Shirayuki, run!"
—shouted, and charged towards Shirayuki.
I had gone mad. Well, if I had gone mad, I was only half mad.
I hadn't charged in without thinking at all.
Judging from her voice -- I know the enemy's rough location.
I want to try and force the enemy into submission with one move.
This is the ammunition dump, after all.
I may not be in Hysteria Mode, but the enemy can't use guns.
There was about 50 meters between us. I can cross that in 7 seconds.
She only has 7 seconds to grasp what weapons I have, decide whether to run or fight, prepare her weapons, and assume a defensive stance -- how could anyone do that?
"Kin-chan!?"
Shirayuki's scared voice echoed throughout the warehouse.
"--No, don't come! Run away! Butei cannot beat Choutei!"
Following that cry, more like a wail-
Next to my foot--
Kch!
Something, moving at a speed my eyes could not possibly perceive, hooked my foot.
"Woah!?"
The *Thud!* from my fall echoed around the warehouse.
Next to my foot was a beautifully curved, silver blade.
I've seen this in the Assault textbooks -- It's called a Yataghan, a French blade. It was in the section for ancient weaponry, a blade meant for fencing.
"'l'anse de la Pucelle' -- I'll make you taste the shame of those who are shackled, Butei."
In the wake of her voice, from within the blade, some sort of white stuff was leaking out. I knew nothing about it besides that it was white, but with a *crackle*...*crackle*, it firmly stuck my calf to the ground.
I-I can't move.
"--Wha-!?"
That white stuff started to reach up my thigh, preventing me from standing up.
What is this...!?
It's cold.
...Ice...!?
I didn't see anything on the blade. And the floor by my feet was ordinary cement.
How did she do it?
I can't stand up anymore.
--I was firmly stuck to the floor by the ice.
"My bloodline has always walked in the light, but that substance belongs in the darkness within the darkness -- I am a much more proficient tactician than any counselor. And so, the thing I hate most in this world is 'Miscalculation'."
After this enemy, who I had never seen before until now, spoke, *Pa* --
The emergency lights inside the room went out.
I was completely wreathed in darkness.
"...N-no! Stop it! What are you doing! --Uu...!"
Clink Clank...!
From Shirayuki, I heard the noise of iron.
The enemy is moving.
"--Shirayuki!"
But even with my call, Shirayuki -- didn't answer.
What happened? What happened to her?
I was extremely anxious, but --
Stuck to the floor by ice, I could do nothing.
Th-This isn't the first time.
I haven't been able to do anything yet.
I'm not saving Shirayuki, I'm just making things worse.
And from the start, that was all I'd been doing. From the time I started being Shirayuki's bodyguard.
I had no way of assessing the situation, I made no preparations, and just whittled my time away. But when something really happens...I, still unable to think of anything, came here, just causing her more trouble.
Even with my eyes wide open, looking at Shirayuki in danger, I could do nothing.
I could only spectate as the situation grew worse and worse--!
Kch!
The sound of another blade cutting through the air reached me.
Even in the darkness, I understood.
That is the blade that is meant to kill me--!
Fyuu - The sound of the other blade came from behind me -- Clank!
And in the air, it burst into sparks.
I...
am still alive.
What happened?
Just now, what happened--?
"It's time to switch out."
As if cutting the darkness and despair in my soul, a voice rang out.
Chh. The warehouse became slightly brighter.
That light -- *pa, papa, papapapapap*
As if trying to surround this warehouse, as big as a sporthall, lights continually flared up.
The darkness from just now, not even allowing me to see my own hands, was replaced by blazing light.
"You're there, aren't you 'Durandal' --! For the crime of abducting minors, I'm taking you into custody!"
*Click*, stepping on my back and head while striding forward -- was someone wearing Butei High's sailor school uniform,
"Aria!?"
"Holmes, hmm?"
That unseen girl's voice came out of the shadows.
And any sign of Shirayuki...had disappeared. It looks like she was forced into another part of the warehouse.
The empty space in that stack of ammunition.
Kich Kich! Two of the blades flew through the air, towards Aria.
Aria, watch out!
She immediately spun her own wakizashi around like a whirlwind, deflecting the two blades.
"How many more are you going to throw at me? You're like one of those baseball machines."
Aria raised her blade in a batting position --
Clatter...
The sound of a door closing reached us from somewhere.
...After a while, there was still silence...
"Looks like she ran away."
Aria turned her head, and threw aside the blade that was stuck into the ground next to me.
And afterward, she crouched down by my head.
"Well, it looks like Idiot Kinji has some uses after all."
"Wh-what does that mean?"
"If you are brave, be brave. If you are pretty, act pretty. If you are noble, act noble. And if you are an idiot, just be an idiot -- there's a saying like that, right? So the best thing for Idiot Kinji to do is go into Idiot Kinji Mode."
...I didn't think that she'd be able to say idiot five times after just appearing.
Also, don't crouch down in front of my face.
To avoid looking up her skirt, I moved the only thing I could, my neck, and turned to one side.
Aria stood up, and she started running over to the pile of ammunition, checking on Shirayuki -- Squeak.
The sound of her sneakers suddenly stopped.
"...?"
I raised my head to look over.
Only to see Aria take a step back hurriedly, and raise her blade towards the air.
And she sliced something that I couldn't see.
"...What is it?"
"It's a steel wire. To be more precise, it's a TNK steel wire. Exactly where my head was."
Whoosh. Aria, turning to look around, swung her blade again.
"And this one is at your height. If you had run towards her, your carotid artery would have been cut. She was probably planning to kill you with this if the throwing knife didn't hit."
"Sh-she's really cunning...I didn't think she would manage to bring Shirayuki away while setting these traps up..."
"But, all this is useless. It cannot escape my eyes."
said Aria, full of confidence. She picked up the blade that she had thrown aside just now, and walked towards Shirayuki's.
--And, she immediately returned to crouch by my side.
"How is Shirayuki?"
"She isn't hurt. But she's tied up. We're going to help her, you come as well."
Aria, finishing what she was saying, placed her knee onto my body. Scrape, Scrape.
And used the edge of her blade to scrape away the ice holding me to the floor.
"Aria...After you disappeared, what happened?"
"'Durandal' was watching Shirayuki from somewhere we couldn't see. Also, I could sense that she was getting closer and closer. But, if Reki and I were there, she definitely wouldn't attack. So I gave up on being a bodyguard on purpose."
"After the fight with me in Assault...leaving, was that planned as well?"
"Butei Charter 2. You must fulfill the contract in the commission. I will never give up. You, sleeping on the roof, really made me angry, but I thought that it was a good opportunity."
Crack. Aria chipped off the ice by my elbow as well.
"'Durandal' is one of the few spies in I-U. As long as you are the only one carelessly guarding Shirayuki, she won't pay any attention to me. You look unsatisfied. Is there a problem?"
Finally regaining my freedom of movement, I faced Aria, who had basically been calling me an idiot the whole time...I'll hold off on my sarcastic comments for now.
After all, she did save me.
"The enemy--seems to have disappeared. Looks like she ran."
According to the map I saw on the handbook, there should have been no way to move to any other floors from this room.
"If there is more than one enemy, she will keep her distance, and think of a way to split up the opponents---and take she will take them one by one. That is how Durandal fights."
I see...Then, were Shirayuki and I separated according to her plans as well?
"The only thing is, when a tactician's plan is broken, she will be inclined to reduce everything to 'nothingness'. So, she might come back to kill Shirayuki. First, we have to get Shirayuki to safety."
Aria finished speaking and stood up, pulling my sleeve towards where Shirayuki lay.
Shirayuki, by the wall of the warehouse, was restrained by manacles.
Her mouth, bound by a piece of cloth, continued to emit sounds like "MMPH."
I took the gag out of her mouth,
"Kin-chan, are you alright!? You aren't hurt, are you!?"
...She continued to selflessly worry about me.
"I'm fine. You should be more worried about yourself..."
I said, lifting up the lock around Shirayuki's chest.
From every angle, the lock looked like a giant, heavy hamburger. And there were 3 successive locks, a setup some called a "Drum Lock". It's very rarely seen, and it was binding her extremely tightly.
Aria and I took out our lockpicking tools from the Butei toolkit, and we tried to pick the lock--
However, the structure of the locks were too complex, and we couldn't even open one of them.
"Kin-chan...I'm sorry...If I didn't hide it from everyone, and come here dressed like this...she said she would blow up Academy Island, and kill Kin-chan..."
Hearing this, feelings of agony once again surfaced in my heart.
I--without me even knowing, I was treated as a hostage?
"When did she say this to you?"
"Yesterday...when Kin-chan went to buy the fireworks, she sent me a message threatening me...I was scared that Kin-chan would be hurt...and so, I accepted...uu....Uuu..."
"It's fine now. Don't cry."
So, that was when--huh.
No wonder Shirayuki was acting so strange when I returned.
"Aria...I'm sorry. I've been treating Aria so badly...yet you came to save me..."
Hearing Shirayuki's words, Aria went "Hmph," and her cheeks reddened a little.
"I-I...was only protecting you because of the contract. And my real goal is only the capture of Durandal. There's no need to thank me."
Saying this, she pulled at the chains binding Shirayuki, moaning.
What you're saying and what you're doing is really contradictory...Well, right now, that isn't important.
But anyways...there's no way I'm going to be able to open this lock.
If Shirayuki was using her inhuman swordsmanship, then maybe--but Shirayuki is the one that is bound, and her katana has been taken.
I'd like to cut the chains connecting her to the wall, but it would be impossible to move that without heavy machinery.
Aria investigated the links in the chain to see whether there were any weaknesses...
and she asked Shirayuki,
"Did you see Durandal's face?"
"No...she was always hiding inside the shadow of the mountain of ammunition. And even when she escaped out that door, I couldn't see what she looked like."
Shirayuki's eyes motioned towards a door, leading up the roof, and Aria put on an expression that said "As I thought."
"...That's to be expected. Durandal would never let anybody see her appearance."
From what Aria said, it appears that she already knows a lot about Durandal from all her research.
And so, I asked something that I had been curious about the entire time.
"Aria. Just now, that ice..."
The ice that held me to the floor.
At the beginning, I suspected that she had used liquid nitrogen, but that can't be it. When I was in Assault, I used liquid nitrogen to freeze time bombs. However...it was a completely different method.
Aria--
"She has an ability,"
she said straightforwardly, giving me the answer I least wanted to hear.
"Yeah, about that...If we measure her by governmental standards, she's a type III ability user--She could possibly be called, a magician."
Shirayuki's in depth explanation made me frown.
Magician...huh?
"Impossible..."
"It's completely possible. Recently, the elite Butei have been getting used to these kinds of situations. Our school has the SSR too, right?"
This...I understand. I just wanted to clarify.
The SSR.
Shirayuki was in that department, undergoing extremely strict training in areas like divination, ability investigation etc. Many methods of abnormal investigation are researched there.
But the SSR is the one class about which every piece of information is highly classified, so all those with no relation to it only know the basic details.
And obviously, I, who wanted to become a normal person, tried my best to stay away from that most abnormal of worlds. Even in rumours, I had never heard of anything like magicians, who I thought only appeared in games.
"There's nothing frightening about it, Kinji. The power of ability users, from my experience--is only at the level of street magicians. They're no match for bullets."
"But, she has a special ability. She might even have an attack that we don't know about."
"You're really cowardly. I hate it when Kinji is like this. But...Well, relax. I haven't taught you how to 'awaken' by yourself yet, so you can sit this one out. I can take care of her by myself."
As if refuting Aria's words...
Rumble--!
A deep noise echoed through the underground warehouse.
We looked around, hurriedly--
Gurgle, Gurgle...
Water was not draining out the holes in the floor--it was rising up through them.
The amount of water flowing out continued to increase, and within a minute, it had already turned into a fountain.
The rising water started to creep around our feet.
"...It's seawater."
Aria said, twitching her nose like a rodent.
"Yeah. There's probably a malfunction in the water pumps."
The water went from our feet...to our ankles. And from our ankles, to our calves.
It continued to rise.
This isn't good.
At this rate, even inside this warehouse, which is as big as any sporthall--within 10 minutes, the whole place will be submerged.
Although that's more than enough time for Aria and I to get out through the stairs to the roof, we couldn't leave Shirayuki behind.
Tactician...huh.
"...That girl really is a tactician, Aria. It's been discovered."
Aria didn't answer, and she continued to look at the water, slowly panicking.
"Discovered...what are you talking about...?"
Hearing Shirayuki's question, Aria's face turned bright red. She raised her head and glared at me, as if saying, "Don't you dare."
But...seeing the current situation... Forgive me.
"Tsuduri said this before, Aria can't swim."
"Th-that's not it. I-if there's a life ring, I can still...!"
"...Why would that sort of thing be here? Aria, go up first."
"I...I can't! Leaving you alone and running by myself, I won't do it!"
"That's not it, this isn't running away, it's attacking first. Quickly, go up. Steal the key back from Durandal--Even if you stay here, you won't be able to open this lock. You should know that by now."
"...Bu-but."
"Only you, whose battle ability is high, can take care of that girl quickly! I don't have any experience fighting against Choutei, only you can do this! ...Quick! Every second counts!"
Thinking back to the basics of Assault, I made my decision.
Aria looked at Shirayuki again, worried, and then she took another look at the water, already at her thighs--finally, she gave her own lockpicking tools to me.
"...I understand. But, if you can't take it anymore, call me, understand?"
Even if I call you, we still won't be able to open this lock--
All three of us understood this.
Alright, I answer Aria, who was turning around hesitantly.
The water continued to rise, furiously.
The lock on Shirayuki was still unpickable.
It will only be 5 minutes before the entire warehouse is submerged.
I searched through the water, hoping to find some sort of tool...but I couldn't find anything.
The water had already risen to around my shoulders.
What do I do...
What the hell do I do...!
"Kin-chan...Go,"
Shirayuki said to me, who could only stand there, doing nothing.
And, she strongly...smiled.
Even now, she still worries about me--
"...Don't say that."
"The Miko of the Hotogi are armed Miko. They are destined to sacrifice their body and soul for people. Kin-chan, run away, quickly. Just leave me behind..."
"How could I leave you here by yourself!"
When Shirayuki was about to answer me, who was shouting--
The water finally reached her mouth, and Shirayuki contorted her face, looking up in order to breathe.
"Don't worry, even if I die, nobody will be sad. The teachers and students may praise me, but those that really like me...don't exist--Fuah, they all...they don't like me, they just appreciate my powers as a Hotogi Miko...Fuah..."
Shirayuki was now thrusting her face up just so she could breathe.
My feet finally lifted off the flow, reaching the point where I had to swim to stay afloat.
"Shira...Shirayuki! Aria will bring the key back immediately! Even if it's 1 minute, you have to endure! Breathe in deeply! The client has to listen to the bodyguard! I'll think of a way to get rid of the lock--"
"Your contract! It's void! Run away--live on...!"
"Shirayuki...! Aaah, Fuck...the reason this happened...it's all my fault...!"
"Kin...chan, this isn't your fault!"
With that final sentence.
Shirayuki--
Closed her eyes, and submerged herself.
"Shirayuki--!"
Shirayuki's hair, inside the water--floated around, powerless.
She seemed to have resigned herself to her fate already, and she was dipping her head, not looking at me.
"Shirayuki...!"
Do you really want to die?
You want to die just so I'll leave you and go?
After dispelling the contract, you still said, "this isn't your fault," trying to protect me--
"How could this not be my fault...!"
Thump! I smashed my fist into the wall.
How could I not be in the wrong.
This is my fault.
The reason things became this way. All of it, all of it is my fault.
I didn't listen to the warnings, I didn't guard against the enemy, and I just sat around idly while things got worse--
Of course all of this is my fault!
Things have already come this far...I.
Decided something.
--Shirayuki.
You've always been very obedient to me.
Now that I think about it, everything I've said has been utterly selfish.
But now, it's time for me to hear your words.
You have three requests of me.
1. This is the one you said just now,
You said, "Live on".
Fine.
I will live on.
How could I die in this kind of place.
I will live on, and live on, and continue to live. I will defeat Durandal, and all of Aria's other enemies.
And afterward, I will return to my normal, peaceful life.
--Also.
Your second request.
You told me this. I remember. It was the night when I started being your only bodyguard.
You said, "Protect me."
At that time, we didn't know of the enemy's existence. So, what you said back then was meant to be inconsequential. However, I responded, with a "Yeah."
I have--to protect you, the final trump card--the power.
Even if I have always, always, been running away from that.
Something that I haven't even told you, my childhood friend.
But ultimately, at the end, my body still holds that final power.
During the plane-jacking, it was only partially of my own will. At that time, to escape the notice of the enemy, I sealed Aria's lips. More importantly, at that time, if I didn't change, I would die.
But, now--
The reason I choose to use this power now is not responsibility.
Aria said, I can sit this one out. Shirayuki also said, the contract to protect her is void.
So I, in terms of responsibility, if I were to run away, I would not be breaking anything.
Even if it would leave me with a lifetime of regret, I could choose not to use this power.
But, I.
For the first time since my brother died, I have decided to use this power.
I have decided to use what is hidden in my body, the final trump card--
Hysteria Mode!
Shirayuki, you said "Your contract! It's void!" right?
" Fuck that! "
I roared, sucking in a deep, deep breath.
I continued until my face turned red. Until my lungs were about to burst. Until I could not breathe more in.
Like that, I breathed, I breathed -- I breathed in, deeply--!
Splash.
I dived.
I grabbed hold of Shirayuki's arms, which were powerless, hanging in the water.
Shirayuki's big eyes were so shocked that they opened even wider, she was shaking her head wildly inside the water.
And her eyes were blinking, giving me a flash signal.
"Don't die. Don't make up for it like this."
It seems that she thought I would prefer to have a lover's suicide with her.
...As expected of Shirayuki's thought patterns.
But, you're wrong. You're wrong, Shirayuki.
You had three requests of me.
There's still one more I haven't mentioned.
It's -- "Kiss me."
I'm sorry that I have to do it like this.
But your wish--is my command!
I only returned two words to Shirayuki, using flash signal.
"Breathe in"
After I did, I immediately--
Embraced Shirayuki.
"!"
I locked my lips with hers.
Shirayuki's lips--
I deserve to burn in hell for comparing, but compared to Aria's--it was even more gentle.
Hss. In the air that she sucked out of my mouth, a little of Shirayuki's, sweet, peach aroma was mixed in.
...Ahh.
I understand.
I understand that Shirayuki is breathing.
And--
I understand, the Kathump, Kathump...This is.
My heart, pounding.
My blood, aroused, used my lips as a starting point, and it rushed through my body--gathering at my core.
I never thought that I would do this with her, my childhood friend.
This action filled my body with excitement, gradually heating my body up.
It's as if all the time I had spent with Shirayuki, from when we were kids, was compacted into a ball of scorching heat. In my core, in my core, it burned within me, a throbbing ache--!
Aah...
I'm changing.
I'm entering, Hysteria Mode...!
Gurgle. Gurgle...Gurgle.
Air came out of Shirayuki's mouth.
She can breathe.
Our lips still together, I let her breathe once, twice--before I left.
I dived down below Shirayuki's chest, and I reached my hand towards the drum lock.
I concentrated, and re-inserted the lockpicks.
If the water reaches the ceiling, I won't even be able to go up for another breath.
From my calculations, there should be 3 minutes left--No, not even 3 minutes.
In my normal mode, picking the lock would take 12 minutes.
But, just through the feeling in my fingertips, I could understand all the workings inside the lock as if I were seeing them--
--Click--
In just 10 seconds, this lock that Aria and I had so much trouble with, was opened by me.
Number 2 was opened as well. After I had taken another breath--I gave Shirayuki some air as well, and took out the tools in the Butei Toolkit in the chest opening of her Miko outfit--
Number 3.
Click--
Following this light click, the enormous drum lock binding Shirayuki came loose.
That heavy lock slid down the wall with a rattle.
Shirayuki and I headed upwards,
--Fuah!
We surfaced at the same time.
It's a relief that I managed to do it.
Although our heads were about to hit the ceiling, the warehouse hasn't been completely submerged yet.
"Kin-chan!"
Shirayuki, splashing through the water, tightly embraced me.
"--Shirayuki. Just now, you said it. You said "It's void."
Ah, I'm such an idiot.
Why am I using such a deep, alluring voice.
Also, don't look at her so directly. You poser!
"Ah...Yeah."
I used my wet hands to lightly touch her cheek by her ear.
And at the same time, I used my thumb to brush away a strand of her black hair.
"This has nothing to do with the contract. I want to protect Shirayuki. Because it's Shirayuki, I want to protect you--No matter what. I hope that my burning, burning feelings...that Shirayuki will accept them."
My soft voice was like a whisper, but I was still able to say it so clearly.
Shirayuki's grateful expression took on a look of surprise--
She furiously
Nodded.
But that head, with a thud--
Smacked the ceiling.
Oh right. This isn't the time to say such sweet words.
This is a bad habit of mine after entering Hysteria Mode.
We have to go up a floor immediately.
"Bu-but, Kin-chan. The opponent is a magician, I want to fight as well."
"You're such a brave girl."
Seeing Shirayuki's eyebrows shoot up, I chuckled.
Although I don't wish to let Shirayuki get into any more danger, it isn't a good idea to go against a woman's determination.
"I hope it doesn't happen--but, if I am really unable to handle it, you can help. Aria and I are fronts. Shirayuki is--support. We're counting on you to give us all you have."
Alright, I've played all my cards.
Right now I have to meet up with Aria, assault, and--
capture that unseen agent--Durandal.
The opponent is a tactician, and also an ability user. A normal Butei can't match her.
But, we are far from normal Butei. We have Quadra Aria, the me in Hysteria Mode, and Shirayuki in support.
With these three cards--even if the opponent is Durandal, we definitely match her. No, we are above her in power.
I was thinking this while pushing this on the emergency valve leading to the upper floor.
The water had pretty much reached the ceiling by now.
Clank. I opened the triple-layered steel valve, and to avoid being sneak attacked, I used my knife as a mirror to look at the situation above. It should be fine. When I had just thought this--the door appeared to have a device attached to it--Rumble. A muffled explosion tore through the entire underground warehouse.
"...Kch!"
The water suddenly rose.
My submerged eyes scanned the extent of the roof to the floor. The raging torrent forced us onto the floor of the level above.
"Kyaa--!"
Shirayuki, forced onto level 6, slid on the slippery ground with a "Kyaa!"
"--Be careful, Shirayuki! Take out your secondary sword!"
"Ah...Yes."
I wanted to go after Shirayuki, who had been flushed into the darkness--but right now, the most important thing is to stop the flow of water.
Unable to let go of the valve, I tried to close it against that enormous amount of pressure.
"Uu...NNGGHHH!"
I used all my strength to push the door, and with a *Thump* It finally closed.
Fu...
I finally--sealed the water.
If I were in Normal Mode, there's no way I'd be able to do this.
"--Shirayuki."
There was no answer.
"..."
You can't mean that...
She noticed the enemy's tracks, and now she's trying to avoid detection.
After all, Shirayuki's role now is support.
I looked around the level, the water already around my feet--forming countless walls was a huge computer, the HPC server--it's known as the supercomputer room.
Emergency lights were constantly flashing, all around me.
But...there were no signs with "Danger" or "Caution".
I drew my Beretta and ejected the magazine, blowing out the water that had permeated the gun.
The current generation of guns won't become unable to fire just because a little water got in.
I was feeling a little sorry for Informa and Connect, but the ban on my gun had lifted.
The supercomputer components were like a barrier. Basically, it formed a maze.
Although I don't need to be as cautious about things flying towards me around corners, I can't be sure of the enemy's location.
In the corridor formed by wires and silicon--I lightened my footfalls, and ran.
I raised my gun as we were taught in interior-combat classes, and moved like soldiers in the special forces.
Two, three--
I stayed cautious while turning corners, keeping to the walls.
"--Kinji."
I met up with Aria.
She appeared to have heard our voices, and returned from within the elevator room.
"I'm glad you're alright..."
I lowered my gaze, and put my gun to one side.
Aria, seeming to feel extremely guilty about leaving the warehouse first, saw that I was alright, and her face relaxed.
However, once she reached my side, she looked up at me with her Eichornia eyes.
"--Why didn't you run. I said you could 'sit this one out', right?"
She softly rebuked me for going against her orders.
"I'm not as irresponsible as to leave the cute maiden, Aria, by herself."
"...Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"
Grr. Seeing Aria bare her canines as usual, I relaxed, and answered,
"Once I thought that Aria might want to see me--I couldn't stop myself from coming."
"We-we-we're already in this kind of situation, and you say that?"
On my face was a smile worthy of Shiranui, making Aria breathe in and out, her cheeks reddening as usual.
The time from normal to full-blush was a mere 0.5 seconds. Congratulations on your new record, Aria.
"Nevermind that, Aria, where's Durandal?"
"...I haven't found her yet. That coward doesn't have the guts to face me."
"--Is that so."
"However, I can confirm that she's hiding in this room. The locks on all the doors leading up are broken, and the elevator doors are sealed. Also, this was all done from inside."
Aria, concentrating again, explained the situation to me. It looks like she really hasn't faced the enemy yet.
"Oh right, I heard her voice just now...Shirayuki was saved too, right? She isn't hurt, is she?"
Looks like Aria really was worried about us, so she confirmed the situation with me.
She really is a good girl. She has such a heavy sense of responsibility.
"Yes. But, we got split up just now. If we split up, we'll be walking into the enemy's trap. We have to rejoin Shirayuki."
I had just spoke, when—
--Ku, Ku Ku
—I heard a weak coughing noise.
It was a soft noise that even the me in Hysteria Mode could barely hear, but Aria, who seemed to have the senses of an animal, turned her head around.
"It's Shirayuki. She's over there."
"Let's go. But, Durandal might attack. Aria, I'll be your shield,"
I said, stepping in front of Aria, going towards the noise.
As I brushed past her, I saw something out of the corner of my eye--
Aria's camellia eyes opened wide, as if she had noticed something about me.
We found Shirayuki immediately.
She was in the only clearing in the HPC server room, the elevator lobby.
She had wandered into one of the roads by it, hiding in the shadow of one of the computers, nearly 3 meters tall.
Thump. Shirayuki was lying on the floor like a mermaid--
She probably ingested some seawater as she was carried by the current, and she was grasping her neck and coughing.
"...Ku, Ku ku...Wh-where's the enemy...?"
"We haven't found her yet. Shirayuki, don't leave us."
Shirayuki nodded her head at Aria, who was bending down.
"Kin-chan..."
Shirayuki raised her head, and directed that half-weak, half-happy gaze at me.
Her soaked Miko garments were stuck to her body, exposing those sensual curves that a high-schooler should not have.
The me in Hysteria Mode could remember the form, color, material, as well as every little decoration as if I had taken a photo of it with my mind.
But--today, Shirayuki was not wearing that black underwear, and instead she seemed to be wearing thin armor.
"Just now, I didn't hurt your lips, did I?"
"No, you didn't."
I carelessly asked, making Shirayuki nod heavily.
"It's bleeding, isn't it. Let me see."
"There's no need. It's not serious, the skin just broke a little."
--So that's it--!
"Aria, run!"
While shouting, I fired at Shirayuki.
Shirayuki--seemed to have predicted this, and *Pa*--!
"!"
She used her wet sleeves to knock aside my hand, dodging the first bullet.
The bullet, hitting the floor, ricocheted and hit one of the huge computers, raising a shower of sparks.
"Kinji!?"
Shirayuki moved with a speed that normal eyes couldn't follow, quickly turning towards Aria.
Bang! Bang Bang Bang!
The Beretta that I had switched to burst-fire roared.
But, the bullets only hit the hem of her hakama.
Shirayuki took advantage of this situation and she bent down, sweeping around Aria until she was at her back.
And with a scraping noise, she drew the sword she had hidden under the computer.
Appearing from within the scabbard she had dropped in the lobby, was the katana that Shirayuki normally carried around with her.
But this Shirayuki--I could no longer attack her.
Because she was already using Aria as a body shield.
Aria was still unable to grasp the situation, but it seems that her animal-like senses allowed her to sense the danger.
"--!?"
Her hands drew her guns by reflex, preparing to turn around to face Shirayuki.
But her neck--
"Uu!?"
was grabbed by Shirayuki, her left arm snaking in from behind.
And in her right hand was the drawn blade, just--below Aria's ear, by her neck.
The Carotid artery.
If it's even cut a few millimeters, it will spurt out blood till the victim dies off blood loss. All within a few seconds. It is one of the most vulnerable spots on the body.
"Shira...yuki! What are you doing! What's going on!"
Shirayuki facing Aria, who was still holding on to one of her guns in her right hand--
Fu!
And blew across her right shoulder.
"Uwaah!"
Aria convulsed as if she had been struck by a branding iron.
And that fearsome M1911 dropped from her nerveless fingers.
Patter...Clatter.
The silver gun, having fallen, was quickly covered by water.
"Aria! No!"
I shouted.
"--That isn't Shirayuki!"
--Fu!
Shirayuki blew at Aria's left hand this time.
"Kyaa!?"
Aria, jerked forwards once again, and that jet black M1911 was released at well, her hands flying to her bosom.
Her hands--as if frosted, were covered by a layer of ice.
This supernatural scene filled my body with an instinctive fear.
Just now--the person that did this, was this Shirayuki.
Using her ability!
"--You're merely ordinary."
That voice was no longer that of Shirayuki's.
"Yet you dare challenge ability users. How foolish."
My senses...noticed that she was strange.
Because Shirayuki didn't listen to me. I told her to draw her secondary sword, but instead, she sat there coughing non-stop, holding nothing.
So, to confirm it, I asked her "I didn't hurt your lips, right?" wanting to see her reaction.
And just now--if it was the real Shirayuki, who knew what had transpired underwater, there's no way she would have remained calm, saying "No you didn't."
And, Shirayuki's lips weren't hurt at all.
Yet, she said that they were.
Forcing me to go to those lengths to confirm--this fake Shirayuki really look alike.
You could say they look exactly the same.
If I wasn't in Hysteria Mode, where my senses are heightened several times above normal, this Shirayuki, my childhood friend, would have completely tricked me. I would have died by her hands.
"...Durandal...!"
Aria, finally noticing her real identity, shook her hands, screaming.
"--Don't call me by that name. That name which others have given me, I don't like it."
"You...know my name, right! I am, Kanzaki Holmes Aria! Of the years that mother is charged with, 107 of them--are yours! I'll have you carry that sentence yourself!"
"Is that really something you should say in this situation?"
Fu. Durandal sneered at Aria, who was in her mercy.
"Anyways, your name--at most, it has 150 years of history, isn't it shameful to announce it like that? The history of my bloodline reaches much farther back than yours--It stretches 600 years, the history of the light."
Afterward, that face, still assuming Shirayuki's appearance, seemed to think Aria was laughable and she squinted, putting her lips by Aria's ear.
"So that's how it is, you're a Quadra, hmm?--It's as Lupin the 4th said."
Just now...she said the name, Lupin the 4th.
--That's Riko.
As expected, this girl is--the Butei Killer's, Mine Riko Lupin the 4th, ally.
I also thought that, without Riko's expertise, there's no way she could have disguised herself so perfectly.
"Aria. My great ancestor--the first Jeanne d'Arc, you're very similar to her. Both of you look so beautiful and cute, but inside, they were ferocious and brave--"
"Jeanne d'Arc...!?"
Aria savored these words.
(...Did she say, Jeanne d'Arc...!?)
Even I know that name. It's taught in History classes all around the world.
That was in the 15th century, the girl that led the French against the English during the Hundred Years War, the Holy Maiden of France. But her words just now implied that she was a descendant of that Jeanne.
...But...
The "Durandal" before my eyes could not be a descendant of Jeanne d'Arc.
Because no matter what one says, the ultimate fate of the Holy Maiden of Orleans was--
"You're lying! Jeanne d'Arc was burned to death...she died before she had reached her twenties! It's impossible that she might have any descendants!"
"That was a fake."
Ku. She laughed at Aria again.
"My bloodline is that of tacticians. She might have pretended to be a Holy Maiden, but in reality she was a Witch. We've always hidden the truth in the shadow of history, passing down the knowledge of that glorified name. And also, I'm the thirtieth. Jeanne d'Arc--the thirtieth."
Durandal--
If I believe what she says, she is Jeanne d'Arc.
"As you mentioned, my ancestor nearly died to the flames. So from then on, each generation has been testing this power."
Jeanne's hand reached towards Aria's thigh like a poisonous snake--and Aria's body shook once more from the pain.
"Kyaa!"
I could see a layer of ice on Aria's knee.
There's no doubt about it.
She's different from us regular Butei, she has powers beyond our imagination!
"Come with me, Aria. You, who were able to wound Lupin the 4th, come with me. Unless you'd like--to die? But in that event, I've already planned ahead."
"...Aria...!"
I switched my Beretta to single-shot and aimed at Jeanne's head, threatening her--But, there's no way I could open fire.
Butei Law article 9.
Regardless of the situation, a Butei cannot kill.
And after I opened fire, I just now understood. Her Miko garments are bulletproof. And apart from her head, the only thing that is exposed is her hand, holding the knife. However, if I fire at it, I'll hit Aria in the head.
That girl knows this, that's why she's standing like this.
What do I do?
Facing my frowning face was Jeanne--still keeping Shirayuki's appearance, smirking.
"Being able to see through my disguise, this isn't the normal you. I'm not able to fight with you evenly...but, your weakness right now is, 'female hostages', right?"
As expected of--a self-proclaimed tactician.
She's investigated that as well.
"Tohyama. If you dare to move, I will freeze Aria. Aria cannot move as well. If you do, I will freeze the part you move, without fail."
Hearing her, my heart was anguished.
She's right, the me in Hysteria Mode will place the safety of girls first and foremost.
"Kinji...Quickly, fire...!"
Where would you like me to fire, Aria.
The me as of right now could not possibly do it...!
"You said something, didn't you Aria? That means your mouth moved. I'm sure we won't need this venomous tongue."
Whoosh. Jeanne firmly drew the hand holding the blade across Aria's jaw--
And brought her own lips towards Aria's mouth.
--She's going to blow inside her mouth!
"Stop!"
I shouted, but I could do nothing.
If Aria is taken hostage, there's nothing I can...
"--Aria!"
A voice that didn't belong to me echoed within the room.
That normally humble and weak voice.
--Was now brave and full of power--
Kch! From behind Jeanne, the 3 meter tall computer, chains started snaking outward, wrapping around--while pressing against Aria's jaw, it had loosened--the hand that held the knife.
With a *Pa!*, the blade by Aria's neck was flung away.
"--!?"
Jeanne, still holding Shirayuki's appearance frowned, looking up towards the computer--
"Kin-chan, save Aria!"
Standing there was the real Shirayuki!
Shirayuki, well done!
Holding up the chains, she snatched the knife from the hands of the impostor.
And from the top of the computer, she caught the knife.
Just now, Aria saved Shirayuki--but now, it's Shirayuki saving Aria.
Butei Charter 1. Believe in your comrades and help each other.
These two people, who can find a way to raise hell over divination, actually start helping each other when a real situation arises--
Aria, Shirayuki.
Both of you are excellent Butei! Your tolerance is legendary!
The real Shirayuki descended--
Clank!
As if inserting herself between Aria and Jeanne, she slashed downwards.
Jeanne reacted immediately. She raised the resistant Miko garments, trying to block the blade with her sleeve.
But this movement was completely negated by Aria.
Aria, in the second she was released, bent forward, using her uninjured leg to strike Jeanne in the kneecap.
Jeanne's balance was completely destroyed, and she could only take a step back.
--My eyes under Hysteria Mode took in this 1-second exchange.
And I rushed forward to catch Aria, who was falling due to that maneuver.
Shirayuki, as if protecting Aria, stood in front of her.
Whoosh. Shirayuki raised her sword gracefully, pointing it towards the disguised Jeanne--
"Shirayuki--I never thought that you'd risk your life like this just to save Aria."
Saying this, from Jeanne's garments, meant to match Shirayuki's Miko hakama, something like a canister fell out.
Hiss-----! The white smoke emitted by the canister permeated the room, blocking all vision.
A canister releasing smoke--a smokescreen!
Beep.
Chi, Chi.
The automatic sprinklers on the ceiling detected the smoke, and started pouring out water.
Shirayuki, as if trying to evade the smoke that was released, stepped backward quickly.
"I'm sorry, Kin-chan. Just now I thought I'd be able to finish her...I didn't think she'd be able to escape."
"You did very well, as expected of Shirayuki. Aria, are you alright?"
"I...I miscalculated this time. I didn't think that there would be two Shirayukis..."
Aria, clutching her body, was trying to extend her hand.
There's no way she can fight, right?--I'm afraid that that was Jeanne's goal from the start.
And also...it might just be me, but I felt the room become colder.
"Shirayuki--can you remember two things for me?"
"Un."
"Do you remember placing a piano wire in Aria's wardrobe?"
"Wardrobe...? I definitely didn't do anything like that."
"And one more thing. Shirayuki, before, were you seen by Shiranui while doing the flower divination?"
"Hnh, ah, yeah..."
Hearing Shirayuki's embarrassed answer, I couldn't help but wrinkle my eyebrows.
"At the same time, I met another Shirayuki. So it seems that that girl was dressed up as Shirayuki all along, infiltrating Butei High. That's why she could observe us so closely--and break us apart. Aria. I'm afraid that the person who put that piano wire inside your wardrobe was Jeanne. You remember the steel wires from below, right? One can hide a tree in a forest--she used the hostility between you and Shirayuki, and placed a death trap."
Seeing me explain my reasoning so clearly--Aria's camellia eyes widened.
"Kinji...you...changed again...right?"
--That's right.
The me as of now is in Hysteria Mode.
Which from your point of view is, Awakened Mode.
I didn't answer, confirming Aria's question.
I'm not sure whether Aria gained some confidence knowing this, but she suddenly bared her canines and shouted,
"Durandal! --You said that you're Jeanne d'Arc? You cheap scumbag! You're nothing like your ancestor!"
From another direction of the smoke, from some place pretty far away--
"You're the same as me. Holmes the 4th."
There was a voice, answering Aria's taunts.
The place that was 'pretty far away', was the elevator lobby.
We had just spun around, rushing towards it--when we suddenly noticed.
It wasn't just me. The temperature in this room was decreasing rapidly.
From the within the mist, the water came down from the sprinklers, crystallizing in the air, floating like snowflakes.
This phenomenon was that of ice crystallization.
It was as if jewels were floating through the air, a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
But for us, this revelation struck a chord of terror within us.
That girl is--A witch, of diamond dust--
"Kin-chan...you protect Aria. Aria won't be able to fight for a while."
Shirayuki held her sword in front of her and backed up a few steps--then kneeled on the floor with one knee.
Her left hand was holding Aria's right hand.
"The witch's ice is like a poison. The only thing that can purify it is a priestess or--Miko. However, this ice is ranked from G6-G8, an extremely high power ice. With my abilities, I can heal it, but to return to normal...it would probably take at least 5 minutes. So during this time, protect her, Kin-chan. I'll take the enemy by myself."
"--What are you saying, Shirayuki. How could I let you fight by yourself?"
I continued to stay alert in case Jeanne attacked, and I stood in a position where I could protect the both of them.
"Kin-chan...you saying this makes me very happy. But now, please leave it to me, a Choutei. Aria, this will...hurt a lot. But, with this you'll be healed, so please endure the pain."
Saying this, Shirayuki started reciting a mantra or incantation.
She's probably concentrating.
An unseen power transferred from Shirayuki's hands to Aria's.
"...Ahh...! Uu...!"
It appears that accompanying Shirayuki's healing is agony, but Aria, not wanting to give our location to the enemy, endured the heavy pain, not making a sound.
The me in Hysteria Mode could not bear those moans any longer, and I turned my head around.
"Uu!"
Aria, biting on her sleeve, moaning, tossed her head back in agony.
Her fringe was tossed up as well, revealing the--X-shaped scar hiding below.
That was the scar that Aria received last month protecting me.
On a cute girl's face, it was a irremovable, eternal scar.
--Pain shot through my chest.
To the side, Shirayuki, finishing Aria's healing, retrieved something like a postcard from her sleeve.
She then placed it on one of the computers--and the surroundings warmed up.
Looking closely, it was a rectangular piece of Japanese paper, a charm with camellia Kanji and symbols covering its surface.
Under my discerning gaze, Shirayuki quickly stood up.
And Shirayuki walked towards the frozen mist, and as if it was a demon being exorcised, it wafted away from her.
I hadn't noticed until now, but our clothes were dried already.
Was this also due to an ability?
"Shirayuki..."
Seeing this scene, I made my decision.
I didn't want to let Shirayuki fight alone.
But.
There's no way I could leave Aria by herself.
--I'll leave this battle to Shirayuki, an ability user, just like Jeanne. After all, that is her own wish.
Seeing me back away a bit, towards Aria, Shirayuki--
"Jeanne."
Stepped forward, putting her body in front of Aria and me.
"You...surrender. I don't wish to hurt anybody. Even if it's someone like you."
Shirayuki clearly announced her intentions, but from within the mist we could hear a soft chuckle, going "Heh."
"You're laughable. An uncut diamond like you could never hurt me, who has received I-U's training."
"I am a G17 ability user."
This time--
We could hear a clear laugh coming from within the mist.
I don't really understand, but it appears that what Shirayuki said is earth-shattering for ability users.
"--Don't try and bluff me. I can count on my fingers, the number of G17 ability users in the world."
"You must have felt it too. When the Hotogi seal...was released from this cloth."
"...Even if what you say is true,"
Jeanne's voice seemed to be a little more panicked.
"There's no way you would betray the Hotogi. I'm sure you understand what that means."
"Jeanne--Finally, the tactician will die in the midst of her own schemes."
Shirayuki's voice become stronger.
"The person you're talking about is the one I've always been, the normal me. But the me as of now could not care less about any restrictions the Hotogi placed on me, I would break them all without a second thought--the only existence that can make me do that is standing by my side. It's you who doesn't know about the strength of my feelings."
Hearing Shirayuki's extraordinary words, Jeanne--fell silent.
Those who rely on plans, find unexpected things extremely hard to react to.
And now, the enemy's plan has one major flaw.
Because, this is a different Shirayuki than the one before.
The temperature has already returned to normal.
The smoke released from the smokescreen has already dispersed, and the sprinklers stopped, one by one.
"Then, let's find out. I've already predicted the possibility of a direct engagement. The higher G the Choutei is, the faster her spiritual energy wanes. If I can hold on, the victory will belong to me."
Jeanne, seemingly having reached a decision, was in another side of the dispersing smoke...
Finally, she stepped out and revealed herself.
The body, having already removed the hakama and all the Miko garments--as expected--was Western armor, covering sections of her body.
"Those restricting clothes that Lupin the 4th made for me are useless now."
Shii. The face that appeared from beneath the thin layer of smoke--
Those eyes, as slender and sharp as a sword edge, were like beautiful sapphires.
And her hair, formed into two strands, each a triple-braid, was a shining silver reminiscent of ice.
Totally contradictory to her ancient manner of speaking Japanese, Jeanne d'Arc was a foreigner with beauty akin to those stars in Hollywood.
"Kin-chan, starting now...don't look at me."
Her back still facing me, Shirayuki's voice trembled a little.
"...Shirayuki...?"
"Right now, I'm going to use Hotogi's heavenly arts. If Kin-chan sees me right now, you'll definitely think...that I'm terrifying. You'll think that...I can't stand it. You'll...hate me."
Saying this, Shirayuki placed her hand on the white ribbon on top of her hair.
Those fingers were also trembling slightly.
While stepping back half a step, I...
"Shirayuki--don't worry. There's only one thing that I cannot do."
For the sake of guarding against the battle that would soon erupt between the two Choutei, I stood in a position where I could protect Aria.
"I'll start to hate you? This is the only thing that I could not possibly do."
As if spurred onwards by my low voice-
Whoosh.
Her face, forcing a smile, turned around to look at me, and she released the white ribbon tied to her hair.
"I'll be right back."
And with a *Thud*, her wooden slippers moved forward. She raised her sword again.
But that stance--was different from her normal appearance.
Only her right hand was holding the hilt, close to the guard. As if showing it off, she raised the flat of her sword above her head.
It was an extremely strange stance that belonged to no school of swordsmanship.
"Jeanne. I won't hold back anymore."
"--?"
"I'm about to show you that which is hidden within the Hotogi Mikos, the sealed Kidoujutsu. We, like you, have been continually carrying on the name of our ancestor. Aria has 150 years. You have 600 years. And as for us...we have had 2000, long, long years..."
Clack--I thought that Shirayuki had clenched her sword--
The front of the sword, with a vibration, erupted into a camellia flame.
And as I watched, the flame flared up and covered the entire blade.
Lighting up the room, was an inferno--!
With this, I could not possibly think that the flame was caused by oil, or even a device releasing gas.
That--that was real.
Shirayuki's trump card, her special ability!
"'Shirayuki' is merely a fake name meant to hide my real one. My forbidden name, my real name is--'Himiko'[1]."
As she finished speaking, Thud!
Shirayuki kicked off the ground, bursting towards Jeanne like a rocket.
Jeanne, stunned for a moment by Shirayuki's display of her ability, suddenly bent down, Clank!
She used an exquisitely crafted Western blade, hidden behind her back, to deflect Shirayuki's full-force blow.
Ching! The blades collided--Jewel-like ice crystals flew off where there should have been sparks, scattering while being melted in that ferocious heat--
Shi--Shirayuki's deflected blade sheared through the computer beside her effortlessly, and without so much as a sound, she cut it in half.
Tap! Jeanne quickly put some distance between Shirayuki and herself.
She's obviously retreating--!
"Inferno...!"
On that breathtakingly beautiful face, an expression of filled with mixed fear and apprehension appeared.
The me in Hysteria Mode was able to understand.
She's afraid of fire.
Just now she said, the bloodline of Jeanne started exploring their capabilities because their ancestor was nearly burned to death.
And the reason they did so, was most definitely because they were afraid.
Each generation of that bloodline, due to the fear they felt, started researching their secret art, ice.
"That attack just now was one of the special arts of the Hotogi, Hinokagabi[2]. And next, is Hinokagutsuchi[3]--Your sword, I will shatter it."
Shirayuki once again brought that blazing blade to her head.
It was as if she was holding a sword made of flame.
So that's how it is, this stance was created for the purpose of keeping Shirayuki's flames from hurting herself.
"This is the end. There's nothing that my Irokaneayame cannot cut."
"That's my line. My holy sword Durandal can cut anything."
Jeanne, facing off against Shirayuki, seemed to be focusing all the courage in her body into the broadsword.
It's an ancient, yet awe-inspiring Western broadsword.
The sapphire embedded into the guard of the sword shined in the blazing light of Shirayuki's inferno.
Step! Shirayuki leaped forward once again--
But from my point of view, she was rushing for the win.
Ching! King! Their swords continued to clash, raising an unimaginable clamor.
Everything that Shirayuki's and Jeanne's blades touched were ripped apart like they were made of paper.
The gigantic computers, as well as the shelves holding them, the bulletproof elevator doors, the concrete floors, walls...everything.
But, there were still two things that had not been cut.
It was Shirayuki's blade, Irokaneayame, and Jeanne's holy sword, Durandal.
Those flashing blades, able to cut everything they contacted, after numerous exchanges and clashes, were still completely unmarred.
"This is...a battle of elite Choutei...!"
By my side was Aria, raising her head in shock.
"Aria."
I bent down, and asked her softly,
"Can you move?"
"I should...I'm nearly fine. But my gun is frozen to the floor, and even if I managed to remove it, it would be unusable. My guns are not resistant to frost. If I don't take it apart and maintain it, I won't be able to use it."
Aria regretfully dipped her head to look at the M1911, sealed to the floor by the ice.
"Let's make a plan."
Hearing my words, Aria, who normally worked alone, raised her head--violently.
And then she nodded.
Looks like the me in Hysteria Mode is a trusted partner for her.
"--We may wish to help Shirayuki, but if we don't help at the right opportunity, we will only hinder her. Aria, you said that you've captured ability users like Jeanne before, right? Is there a way to exploit one of her weaknesses?"
"Ability users as powerful as this...to be honest, I've never met them before. But, this battle...I don't think they'll be able to sustain this for a long time."
"Unsustainable for a long time?"
"The more powerful an ability user is, the faster their spiritual energy depletes. They use minimal amounts of energy when clashing with Butei...but when they meet one of their own kind, they will go all out, as demonstrated here. Therefore, their spiritual energy should not last much longer. At that time, we will strike."
"Are you able to recognize that moment?"
"From my experience, I should be able to. However, most of it is just instinct. Do you trust me?"
Aria's voice seemed to be a little uneasy,
My heart full of shame, I straightened my body, and gently patted her pink hair.
"Recently, I've been a complete idiot. Can you forgive me? I swear--as long as I live, I will trust you."
"A-as long as you live?"
"There might not be anybody in the world that trusts you, but as long as I live, I will stand beside you."
I looked into her camellia eyes, pouring out my deepest feelings...
Her face was already red, almost the same color as her twin-tails, but at that moment, Aria's...
cheeks turned a color akin to ripened strawberries, and she blushed even deeper.
Because her surprised face seemed to be pleased, I-
"Are you happy?"
"...Idiot Kinji...! Yo-you...even when you're in your Awakened Mode, you're still an idiot...idiot...!"
"Tell me. I want to know what you really feel."
I asked her this.
"............I-I'm...a little happy. Bu-but only a little!"
"If Aria is happy, then I'm happy as well. Then Aria, will you trust me?"
".....Uuu, Un."
Finally, Aria's gaze, like a child looking at an adult, met mine, and she nodded furiously.
It seems that she already feels that way about the me in Hysteria Mode.
"Then, we have faith in each other."
Hearing my decisive words, Aria's heart seemed to have been shaken, and she brought her lightly closed hands to her chest.
"With that, I hope that you can trust in yourself, and tell me the time to strike. Together, let's--capture Durandal."
During the time when Aria and I had newly re-established our trust--
Now...where Shirayuki had always had the advantage in the battle of flame against ice, for the first time, she seemed to be struggling with the opponent.
"--!"
Shirayuki's breathing seemed like it was just about to stop, and she gritted her teeth, charging forward with the sword in her hands.
Under this blow, with the full weight of her body behind it, Jeanne, with a *Thump*, was finally forced to the ground, falling against the wall.
But...
"Haa, Haa, Haa...!"
Shirayuki was already extremely exhausted. As if trying to prove that Shirayuki was nearly unable to breathe, the blade, wreathed in flames, was getting dimmer and dimmer.
"Throw your sword away, Jeanne--You, have, lost."
"Heh...Hehe."
Following Jeanne's chuckle, directed at no-one--Chi.
In a flash, ice particles appeared around her, moving like a thin mist.
Being hidden by that mist, she ducked under Shirayuki with a spinning movement.
Shirayuki tried to slash diagonally, but her blade, losing its flame--
Crashed into the wall with a "Kch." and stopped.
It was obvious.
Shirayuki has already used up all her energy--in these few minutes.
Aria was right.
Choutei are very strong. They have powers beyond a human's imagination. But, they are not good in extended battles.
The same goes for magic in RPGs. Those characters that are able to use devastating magic attacks--but once their mana runs out--
"Haa, Haa...Haa"
Shirayuki, still grasping the hilt of the blade with her right hand, fell to her knees.
She seemed to be as tired as somebody who had just finished running a marathon.
Clank. The blade still sticking into the wall, fell onto the ground, and Shirayuki's left hand felt the ground next to her for the sheathe...Chiiii, and for some reason, she sheathed the blade.
"How naive--you're as simpleminded as a rock. Not attacking my body, and only aiming for my sword. Breaking my holy sword, Durandal--is absolutely impossible."
Jeanne appeared to have regained her composure, and she pointed the edge of Durandal towards Shirayuki.
Has it not arrived...Aria, has it not arrived?
The moment where I can strike, has it not arrived?
"Ku...!"
I saw Shirayuki, who appeared to be hiding the sheathed blade behind her body, grit her teeth.
Shirayuki--!
I couldn't take it any longer, and was about to rush in when Aria grasped my hand.
"Not yet, Kinji...! Shirayuki still has it in her for one final blow...! It takes time to use her abilities...and I think...she's focusing her power right now...!"
Aria, whispering this to me, seemed to be convincing herself with those words as well.
Around Jeanne, who was raising her sword, ice crystals once again appeared, and they continued to float around her.
Also, within the blink of an eye, they swept over the room like a blizzard.
That bitter cold once again decreased the temperature of the room below freezing point--!
"Let's go, "Fleur de la glace d'Orleans[4]"--become diamond dust, and dance--!"
Behind the cloud of glittering ice crystals, Durandal, still in Jeanne's grasp, started to accumulate a blinding white light.
--Now--!
"Kinji, follow after 3 seconds!"
shouted Aria, Whoosh!
She drew the two wakizashis from her back, and rushed forward, just like a bullet.
--1 second.
Jeanne, focusing on battling Shirayuki, turned her head with an "Ah."
--2 seconds.
"A mere Butei dares to interfere!"
Jeanne gave into the cold fury gripping her, and she swung her sword diagonally, but quicker than that--
Aria used the tip of her blade to hook the Miko garments that Jeanne had tossed aside just now--Pa!
Those clothes, flying through the air, blocked the enemy's line of sight.
"--!"
Shi--! Aria continued sliding down on the ground like a football, curling up.
Still, Jeanne didn't stop.
But Aria, seemingly with an Aikido technique, predicted her enemy's movements and acted on it.
Kch!!
The flow of aquamarine light, caught the Miko garments--from above Aria's head--into its deathly embrace.
This really is like a scene from an RPG.
She formed the glinting ice crystals into a vortex, and she furiously fired it towards the ceiling.
The ceiling appeared to have sprouted a colossal ice flower, and it was completely frozen.
--3 seconds!
"Kinji, now! Jeanne can't use her ability anymore!"
I don't need to be reminded.
I slid on the frost on the floor, speeding forward.
Bang Bang Bang!
I fired my Beretta, which had been already switched to 3-burst fire, towards Jeanne's center.
Jeanne immediately pulled Durandal back, deflecting the 3 bullets.
But I had predicted that already. Because she's a master swordsman that's able to fight evenly with Shirayuki.
I--continued to pick up speed as I slid, preparing to enter close combat with Jeanne.
Contact gunfights--I had practiced this when I was in Assault.
We may have used riot shields during the practice--but, as long as the enemy has a way to defend against bullets, this method is useful. It focuses on using a hail of bullets to cause multiple impacts, overpowering the enemy.
"You're just a Butei!"
At that moment, Jeanne charged towards me, unexpectedly.
Aria's twin blades struck towards her feet.
Pa! Jeanne, having already predicted this, leaped over her attack, rushing down at me furiously.
Not only was she able to use the flat of her blade to deflect my bullets, but she also twisted the edge at an angle, coming directly at my head.
"--!"
That kind of superhuman move...didn't you lose your magic already?
And this slice was far faster than I thought.
Durandal's arc had nearly reached my head--
--at that moment.
For the me in Hysteria Mode,
Everything was moving in slow motion.
Methods of negating this danger...
There's still one.
That technique requires use of both hands.
But, I can't let go of my gun in the right hand.
If I were to compare this with chess, that gun in my right hand was the key piece of my entire strategy.
So with my unrestricted left hand, I--
"----!"
Caught the holy sword, Durandal.
--I used Edge Catching--
--Single Hand Version.
As the blade was speeding towards me, I found it extremely difficult. However, I managed to pull it off.
This is thanks to Hysteria Mode, as well as the training that Aria had been giving me.
"--!"
Thud--!
Jeanne, still holding on to Durandal, fell to my side.
"...How could there be, someone like this..."
Jeanne, seeing that her beloved blade was caught between my forefinger and middle finger...as I thought, still didn't lose her fighting spirit.
I kept holding her sword with my left hand, and pointed my gun at her neck with my right hand.
"--This is over, Jeanne. It would be a lot easier for all of us if you were obedient,"
I said, as if reprimanding a child--
"Butei Law article 9."
Jeanne responded.
I glanced away for a moment, chuckling.
She's right.
If I wish to keep Butei Law, I cannot attack her head.
"I haven't forgotten. Butei cannot kill people."
"Haha. You really are an amazingly intelligent young lady[5]."
"Y-Young lady...?"
I'm not sure whether she was embarrassed by this name, but Jeanne's face reddened.
"Bu...But, I'm not a Butei!"
she said, while putting more pressure on the sword.
Stop it already, young lady.
I already told you.
This match has been decided.
"Why?", you might ask--
Tap! Tap Tap Tap--!
In the wake of the continuous footfalls of wooden slippers--
"I'm not going to let you attack Kin-chan!!"
Shirayuki yelled, rushing towards us--inserting herself between Jeanne and I, right where Durandal was.
"--Hihi No Hotogikami[6]--!"
The blade, still sheathed, tore out of the scabbard with a ferocious scrape.
Crimson light flashed from within the scabbard, and brought along by the blade, it split Durandal.
A vortex of flame, looking like a gigantic flaming-tracer bullet, flared up, unstoppable, towards the ceiling--
Bang--------!!
The ice on the ceiling shattered into a thousand pieces, as if it had been hit by a grenade launcher!
Fuah...Fuah...
In the midst of the falling fragments, Jeanne's mouth fell open, completely stunned that Durandal had been broken.
"......!"
This was the final scene that lay before us.
It made Jeanne, who had no idea how to react to the situation, widen those sapphire-like eyes.
And stand there, in a daze.
"Durandal[7]!"
And suddenly, a shrill voice--Click!
rang out, handcuffing Jean's right hand.
"Uu--!?"
Jeanne looked at her own hand, at the handcuffs made especially for ability users.
I shouldn't need to say this.
This was the silver handcuffs that Aria bought on her first day as Shirayuki's bodyguard.
"You're under arrest!!"
Aria bounded over like a predator, Click! And clasped the handcuff over her left wrist as well.
I--
"Didn't I say so? 'It would be a lot easier for all of us if you were obedient.'"
I turned around and picked up the top half of the fragmented Durandal, removing it from the sight of Jeanne, who was in the process of getting her feet handcuffed by Aria.
She, as opposed to her behaviour--is like Aria, a well known young lady.
But, that confidence led to her capture.
Jeanne. Even as the end drew near, you still underestimated Aria and I--You underestimated us as just "Butei."
That is the sole reason for your defeat.
Because the Butei here are me in Hysteria Mode, as well as--Holmes the 4th in Partner Acquired Mode, Quadra Aria. We are by no means, just Butei.
Fu, I exhaled lightly...
And walked over to Shirayuki, who was lying down, exhausted, in the middle of the debris.
Shirayuki, meeting my gaze, quickly sheathed the blade, panicking a little.
"Kin-Kin-chan."
It looks like the first thing she's going to do is apologize.
I raised my forefinger, conveying "You shouldn't say that, right?"
"...Thank...Thank you."
Thank you?
I'll count it as a pass.
"Shirayuki. You did really well. The only reason we could capture Durandal--is Shirayuki's hard work."
"You....You...You aren't scared?"
"Scared of what?"
"Ju...Just now, my...that, that kind of thing..."
Shirayuki said, those smooth black eyes tearing up under her fringe.
It looks like she thinks that I'd be scared after seeing her ability.
Haha.
So she's worried about this kind of thing.
I, laughing gently, said to Shirayuki, who had an expression saying "You don't hate me...right?"
"How could I be scared. That was an extremely beautiful, extremely powerful flame. It was far more beautiful than the fireworks we saw before."
"Kin-chan...Uu...Uwaah..."
Shirayuki couldn't help but start crying, and she hugged me tightly--
I returned the hug, gently patting her back.
No matter how long, I will stay with you.
Until you calm down from being a crybaby.
I will always gently, gently...hold you.
Like when we were kids, I will comfort you, who was severely scolded for going out to see that fireworks festival.
That's right.
In that area, nothing about Shirayuki has changed.
But--she has become strong.
Strong enough to break out of the cage the Hotogi instilled on her own, strong enough to flap her own wings of flame, strong enough to fight for her own beliefs.
Shirayuki, sobbing while looking up at me, seemed to be calming down--
"After this...you can't disappear without a sound anymore, Shirayuki."
And once again, directly to her face, I smiled.
After Golden Week, Adseard will start.
Aru=Kata, in which I have to perform, is during the closing ceremony, so recently I've just been passing the time doing random things, since the classes are shortened.
Yesterday, after Shirayuki went back to Academy Island...she said she had forgotten something, and she went back to her own dormitory.
And before long, she sent me an SMS.
"Kin-chan, I'm sorry about tonight. You must be angry. I can't face you right now, so I'll be staying over here for today."
To be honest, I've had enough of continuously guarding her against a non-existent entity...
And really, I left her completely unguarded at night, and still, nothing happened, so-
"I'm not angry. Let's just count that as over and done with. There's no need to worry about it anymore, alright? Also, if I stop being your bodyguard in the middle of the assignment, Masters will get angry, so I'll continue with it. Tomorrow, after you're finished with your committee work, call me."
-I sent her that message, and went to sleep, alone.
However, I couldn't sleep at all, last night. It was partially because I was feeling regret about the incident at the artificial beach, but also, for some reason...I was extremely uneasy.
But I don't know why I was so uneasy.
...And so, because of this, I didn't get enough sleep at all.
Right now, I was holding back my drowsiness and punching tickets with Muto at the auditorium doors, which had already been converted into the stage for the Adseard opening ceremony.
This auditorium may have many doors, but because it's located deep within Butei High, I don't need to act as security at the same time.
And the door we were responsible for was the only exit to the media lounge.
So I couldn't skip even if I wanted to.
Even though, in the period before the opening ceremony, several camera-carrying and headset-wearing journalists had hurriedly passed through...
"...The song we're performing, 'Who Shot the Flash', is a cover version, and it's also a copied version. Added to this, the lyrics were replaced, right? Changing it to that degree is just a joke."
Muto, bored out of his mind from the work, was sitting on a folding chair, complaining.
"Why did they choose that song?"
I, who had nothing to do as well, asked him.
"You know how the 'Bang Ba-Ba-Ba-Bang' lyrics were the only ones that weren't changed? It's because they thought it sounded like gunshots."
"Ha...as expected of Butei High, people will..."
I struggled to hold in my yawn, and looked up towards the sky, which was also clear, today.
"Anyways, in the end, did Hotogi-san...join the cheerleaders for Aru=Kata?"
"Shirayuki? No, she didn't."
"Is that so-"
Muto suddenly started dragging his words, as if he was feeling a profound regret.
"Kinji, now that I think about it...you're a bodyguard for Hotogi-san right now, right?"
"That's right. Along with Aria."
"Hotogi-san, even while protected, doesn't feel strange at all. After all, she's one of those people that people would give anything to protect."
"I don't really think she needs to be protected."
She's able to fight on equal terms with Aria, after all.
"...Then...Kinji. Who is it?"
"What?"
"I'm asking, as for Shirayuki and Aria. Which one is your type?"
"Huh?"
My eyebrows shot up.
"Neither of them", before I could say that...Muto, with a clatter, turned his folding chair to face me.
"It's Aria, right?"
"Why would it be Aria?"
...Why did I pause, there?
"About that... Well, I was thinking that you get along better with girls that looked younger."
"Who would be able to get along with that lion cub. I'm a human, you know?"
"Before, when Aria was talking with normal girls during school...all she could talk about was you, you know? You guys are lovers, right?"
"Impossible."
"Th-then, Kinji...Do you want to have a relationship with Hotogi-san, then?"
"...You know something? Why does even Muto have to guess about these sort of things?"
Thinking back to what happened with Shirayuki last night, I automatically became angry.
"Hmph, well...Aren't Butei supposed to be infinitely curious?"
"...Curiosity killed the cat. Even that is written on the Butei textbooks."
I tossed those words down, and slumped down on the desk, not willing to answer anymore questions.
"Come on, answer me. If you don't, I'll get a 4 ton truck and squash you to death."
"Ooh, why don't you try it out? I'll meet you with my Kinji Model Beretta."
I used a manner of speaking akin to those in Assault, and entered my Ignore Muto Mode.
Even with this, Muto didn't give up.
With a, "Come-on-and-tell-me-already" expression, he continued to stare at me.
1 minute.
2 minutes...
When the third minute had elapsed, Muto's spiky head bowed down towards me...
"--I'm sorry!"
"What's this, all of a sudden? You're too loud."
"I, nearly became a bastard!"
"?"
"Because I tried to get you to like Aria. Also...I was praying that you could get along well with the girl you like."
Muto, finishing his sentence, folded his arms and looked up resolutely.
...I don't get it.
I don't get any of them.
I wasn't willing to return to those topics, and Muto seemed to feel the same way, so we started talking about music, movies, and motorcycles, slowly whittling away the time.
At 4:00, Muto's class had ended. It was only me left, in front of the unused door. I had nothing to do, so I just sat there, willing the time to pass.
...Nod...Nod.
In the sunlight, I was sitting on the folding chair, like that...I was totally burned out from my continuous guarding, and I hadn't gotten enough sleep...Finally, I descended into a haze.
In my dream I saw Aria crying while chasing a peach bun, rolling down a ramp. When she had accidentally fallen inside the water...
"Hey, Kinji--!!"
Thud!
With Muto grabbing me by the shoulder, I woke up.
"--?"
This isn't good, I had completely fallen asleep.
The clock on the wall had advanced steadily while I was asleep.
It was already 5:00.
Did Muto run back here? It looks like he's out of breath.
Is he angry because I fell asleep? -- That doesn't seem to be it. What happened?
"What is it?"
I wrinkled my eyebrows--
Muto pointed at the cellphone in my pocket.
"Situation D7, we have a Situation D7."
-- With a start, I woke up.
Situation D -- It's a code especially for Adseard, one that means something has happened within Butei High.
And, for it to reach D7, it means: "The current events are not clear, only the people receiving this message can act. Also, to protect the target's safety, do not let this get out. Butei High will continue on with Adseard as planned. The incident must be solved secretly." -- a situation like that.
I took out my cellphone, and noticed that I really did receive a message from Butei High while I was asleep.
What on Earth has happened?
Not even leaving me time to read the message, Muto whispered into my ear, saying,
"Hotogi-san seems to have disappeared. We haven't been able to reach her since noon."
"-- Disappeared?"
I hurriedly confirmed the contents of Butei High's message --
and noticed that Shirayuki had sent me one new message.
And the contents --
froze the blood running through my body.
"Kin-chan, I'm sorry. Farewell."
-- This is too weird.
For me, her childhood friend, I understood. These words were too strange.
Because even if she was brooding about the events of yesterday, and leaving home, it's impossible that she would do this.
What had happened at the man-made beach should have been resolved by the SMS I had sent yesterday.
I wasn't really sure what Shirayuki was thinking, but she's always been absolutely obedient to me. If I say it's over, then it means it's over. She won't ever speak about that again. She'll pretend it never happened.
Also, Shirayuki's sense of responsibility is very strong. She would definitely put her work -- her work for Adseard first, she would definitely wait until the closing ceremony is finished. And so, because she suddenly disappeared, Butei High felt the need to give the order for a Situation D.
I understand completely.
This is not an ordinary disappearance.
Something dangerous must have happened to her -- !
Letting things become the way they are now -- whatever I say, are all just excuses.
I never could have imagined that Shirayuki was in danger.
And even Aria, who was so alert in the beginning, gave up on the assignment.
But even though that was the case --
I was too stupid.
I was too careless.
Shirayuki might really have been targeted.
I thought back to what I had screamed at Aria only 2 days earlier.
"Just hearing that "Durandal" could appear is already enough to make you think "I hope that he appears." And without knowing it, you're deluding yourself into thinking that the "enemy" is here!"
That...Maybe I had gotten it the wrong way around.
I was the one that was thinking "I hope he doesn't exist."...and without knowing it, I had treated him as "Non-existent".
I rushed through the road leading up to Butei High --
I knew nothing about where she might be, so I could only search this one, small road.
I had split up with Muto to look for her, but, where on Earth do I start?
The me as of right now doesn't have a clue.
But this is Situation D7. If I start asking random people, I might be putting Shirayuki in danger.
When I called Shirayuki, it didn't connect, so I called Aria. However, she, for whatever reason, didn't pick up. Her phone should be ringing.
(Aria...!)
If I had done what we should have been doing from the very beginning, and been protecting Shirayuki, this wouldn't have happened.
However, the reason she's gone is me.
I didn't take her at her word, and now...because I didn't trust her, these were the consequences --
(I...aren't I the most retarded, idiotic, piece of trash!)
Shirayuki -- said she "trusted" me. From the night I started to protect her.
I trust you.
She said that, clearly...
But, I betrayed her trust--!
Like a dog, I searched every road, every corner.
But time continued to pass, while I hadn't found anything.
I...Can I not do anything?
The me right now --
I can't even protect one girl?
Why -- am I -- so useless!
(But...Even if I am useless, I still have to do something!)
Even if I have to turn this island upside down, I have to continue to look for her.
Search. Only that. That's all I can do.
Shirayuki.
I'm not a hero like you said I was.
I'm a scumbag that lies sleeping while you're in danger.
However, even if I'm a scumbag, even if I can't change that, the trust that you put in me, I have to repay it!
-- If I can't even do that, I'm not worth of even being a scumbag!
While I was running around the southern corner of Butei High -- my phone rang.
In one movement, I took it out and pressed the answer key.
"Kinji-san. This is Reki. I'm watching you right now."
-- Reki!
"A Situation D7 seems to have occurred. I looked at my phone during a break in the Snipe competition."
"Ah, yeah."
Now that I think about it, Reki is the Japanese representative at Adseard.
And I could hear through the phone, faint voices shouting: "What are you doing, Reki!" "You could've gotten a world record!"
Whatever Reki was saying was overshadowed by those voices.
"Reki, where are you right now? It's too noisy over there, I didn't hear what you said just now."
"I am on the seventh floor of Snipe."
"Snipe--"
Hearing that, I turned northwards.
Snipe is next to the underground sniper range and is situated at the northern reaches of the island, a large building.
"I'm sorry about the noise. That had nothing to do with Shirayuki, don't worry."
"What? What's going on over there!"
"I left the field in the middle of the competition, so I was disqualified. Everybody is extremely angry now."
From the phone, I heard a *thud* from a window being opened.
And a Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Woah, those voices from just now flared up again.
Reki--!?
When I was about to call out her name, *crack*!
A fragment splintered off the lamppost next to me.
"Kinji-san, please calm down. When people become upset, their effectiveness is decreased by half."
Ju...just now, was that something that Reki shot?
From the Snipe building to here... It has to be at least 2 kilometers, right?
"That's exactly what you are right now. Have you calmed down?"
"Ah... Yeah."
Kch, I could hear her loading another bullet.
Talking on the phone--
and shooting with such an outdated SVD sniper rifle. How can she still be so accurate?
"I don't know where Shirayuki is -- but the currents don't feel right. Check gutter 9."
On the outskirts of this artificial island, there are 28 gutters.
They're used to control the water levels on the island, holes that water can be pumped out of.
"Wh-which way?"
I had just asked, when
"I am...a single bullet."
The only response was Reki's habit when concentrating, those mantra-like words.
Crack.
On the asphalt a little away from my foot, a deep mark appeared, created by a sniper rifle.
Crack. Crack. Crack Crack.
Wha...What's going on?
Reki was using the SVD's semi-auto to write something on the road.
When it was finished --
"Please go investigate in that direction. I will continue to look out for Shirayuki-san from here."
--it was an arrow sign that would fit exactly within a circle with a diameter of 30 centimeters.
I didn't notice anything out of ordinary with the flow in the gutters...
But next to the grating of gutter 9, I found signs that someone had removed it and put it back on.
From that distance, she was able to see such minute changes within the currents... Hey, this isn't the time to be stunned by Reki's superhuman sight.
I flipped open the Butei handbook I always kept with me, and checked to see where this gutter led to.
"The underground warehouse--!?"
My own words caused me to start sweating.
This wasn't because I was running. It was a cold sweat.
In the extremely dangerous Tokyo Butei High, this, along with Assault and Masters was recognized as the third danger zone...the underground warehouse.
The underground warehouse is just a pretty name we use for outsiders' benefit.
That place is actually--
the armory.
This isn't good.
This is horrible.
I may not be Aria, but even I get a bad feeling about this.
While Butei High remains ignorant... Something is going to happen.
And Shirayuki has been sucked into the middle of it--
Under Butei High, the rooms are multi-layered, like cabins in a ship. From the second floor below ground and onwards, it's all below water. I ran down the stairs, rushed towards the elevator, disregarding the forbidden access sign, and punched in the emergency code--
But, the elevator didn't move.
That's weird.
This isn't normal. I know that much, already.
I stepped into the Pressure Room, and pulled the cover of the circuit box for the elevator.
The emergency stairs, leading into the floor like a manhole, was meant to be used in case of flooding, so the walls were made of three metal plates.
I entered in the confirmation password, inserted my keycard, and used the magnetic IC inside the Butei handbook to open the door, and ran the stairs down to the floor below--!
I also used the emergency stairs for the boiler room below, and that way, I reached the 3rd floor, the 4th floor, the 5th floor, continuously going down.
The stairs were already rusty, and I fell while hurrying down. I received many scratches and bruises while sliding down.
...Ouch.
It hurts.
But, I don't have time for this right now! If there's even a 1% chance that Shirayuki is here, I have to continue going down!
For her sake. Shirayuki, who trusts me implicitly -- I have to save her--!
Thinking this way, I finally reached the 7th floor--
The underground warehouse.
This is the deepest part of Butei High.
The place that gutter 9 links to.
Of course, this isn't a place one can enter just by going through the gutter...but if one tries, it is possible. And also, the students regularly say that Butei High, because it's such a big place, doesn't have good security against intruders. Everyone just assumes that nobody is stupid enough to try and enter an island filled to the brim with hundreds of Butei.
After reaching one of the corners of the underground warehouse, an unused records room...I noticed something.
--Darkness.
I opened the door noiselessly, peering out into the corridor, but everything was still pitch black.
The electricity's been cut.
I took out my cellphone, planning to call Muto and Reki -- But for some reason, probably because the signal transmitter inside the room was broken, I had no signal.
Damn it.
I was angry because I couldn't even predict this happening.
This isn't like a game, flashlights or walkie-talkies won't appear out of nowhere.
But even if that's the case, going up to the surface to call for back up is a waste of time.
More important than communication, than light, is time.
I don't know whether this decision is correct.
But, Shirayuki might be hurt right now. All because I was so stupid. The only thing I can do is save her immediately! Anything else is unimportant!
I tried to lessen the noise of my footsteps as I walked through the halls, looking for a trace of Shirayuki.
The corridors were very wide, and on each side were rows and rows of ammunition racks.
I used the light of my cellphone to take a look at my Butei handbook. In front of me should be an empty space, much like a hall.
It's the storage place for the underground warehouse's most dangerous armaments. The room called the big warehouse.
From there...
"..."
I could sense somebody.
There are people arguing.
I may not be able to hear what they're saying, but there are definitely people there.
I reached for my Beretta--
I brushed the handle, and then frowned.
In the red light illuminating the darkness, I could see warnings like "KEEP OUT" or "DANGER" written all around.
This is an ammunition dump.
If a bullet accidentally hits something dangerous, and it explodes -- Butei High would be blown away.
That isn't an exaggeration.
Academy Island would become just like a ship that got hit by a torpedo. There are armaments in here easily able to cause that level of destruction. Also, the armaments in here are stored messily.
If an explosion sets off any secondary explosions, then Butei High's faculty, alumni, and every competitor in Adseard -- the elite Butei from all over the world -- will be slaughtered.
That isn't it. A lot of journalists and the like are here to report on Adseard. If an incident like several hundred Butei getting blown to pieces actually occurs, they will most definitely get the news out.
...In short, I cannot use my gun.
I felt for the butterfly knife concealed among my clothes, and opened it, soundlessly.
Illuminated under the red light, the knife edge was glowing.
The structure of the butterfly knife makes it easy for it to make a lot of noise, so it didn't fit a situation like this.
I can't wave it around, or I'll have to keep it.
Thinking this way, and using the knife edge as a mirror to look around corners...I took in a sharp intake of breath.
Under the red light, around 50 meters away from me, next to a mountain of ammunition--
stood Shirayuki in her Miko garments.
Shirayuki was talking to someone, next to the carelessly stacked...or maybe moved...stack of ammunition.
I wanted to charge in, but I quelled the impulse. I have to understand the situation first. And I can't be sure, but that unknown person might be pointing a gun at Shirayuki as we speak.
I stuck my body as close to the corner as it would go, and listened calmly.
"Why do you want me, Durandal. Why do you need, someone like me...a person without any special traits of any kind."
Shirayuki's voice was full of fear.
--Durandal--!
So, he really does...exist...!
"There are some people who keep themselves hidden in the shadows. And as for the people on the surface, they don't know the darkness within the darkness."
It was a strange voice. It was masculine, and the wording was ancient, yet -- it was a girl's voice.
"There are those who fade into the darkness, ready to attack. But in a battle, those that hide themselves deepest are the victors. My great ancestor was facing that darkness -- which also means, she was part of the light. And so, my ancestor was tricked by the darkness."
"What are you saying...?"
"The enemy is already in the darkness, training ability users. And so, we, unbeknownst to our enemies, have to train stronger ability users -- those diamonds in the rough -- So, the fact that we we reach our hands out towards the gemstones that that defective Butei are protecting, is something completely natural. This isn't strange at all. Shirayuki."
"Defective...Butei...? Who are you talking about?"
From within Shirayuki's voice came a hint of anger.
And the girl she was facing adopted a mocking tone.
"The Holmes girl was extremely troublesome -- but as I predicted, the person who finally chased that girl away is Tohyama Kinji. If that guy isn't a defective product, then what is he?"
"Kin-chan -- Kin-chan is not defective!"
"But in reality, he was unable to protect you."
"Th...that isn't it! Kin-chan didn't lose to someone like you. I-I just didn't want to trouble him...so I didn't call out to him!"
"You didn't want to trouble him, huh. But Shirayuki. You also played in my plan, you know?"
"Me...?"
"You remember that phone call, right?"
The voice that came out of the darkness nearly made my heart stop.
Right now, is she mimicking my voice!?
"Come quickly, Shirayuki! Come! I'm in the shower!"
"--!"
I realized that Shirayuki was so stunned, she couldn't speak a word.
That girl seemed to think her reaction was very amusing, and so she continued to speak,
"Holmes set up several traps and probes -- but the person observing your room, was me. I saw that you were in the living room, and that the light had gone off in Tohyama's shower... Also, Kanzaki Aria had just arrived. How could I have left such a perfect opportunity alone, knowing your personality?"
"It was you who pretended to be Kin-chan and goaded me into action -- and Aria and Kin-chan's relationship...you destroyed it...?"
"Things just went downhill from there. Within the space of a few days, Aria had left you two."
She...was watching us?
Has she...always been hiding around us?
--Durandal.
She was at our side. At Aria's and mine, as well as -- her target, Shirayuki's, side.
She got rid of Aria, the main protective force. And then she waited for me to show an opening.
And now, she wants to take Shirayuki away...!
"Come with me, Shirayuki. But...before you can become one of us, you should first let go of Tohyama. The person that deserves your devotion is someone else."
Her next words rendered my mind a complete blank.
"Right now, I'm going to bring you to -- I-U."
I-U.
The organization that made Kanzaki Kanae -- Aria's mother, carry 864 years worth of crime, the people behind Mine Riko Lupin the 4th, the "Butei Killer"--
Who killed my brother--!
Nii-san.
Ever since I was little I respected the person who was stronger than anyone, who was smarter than anyone, and who could still be so compassionate -- Nii-san.
But Nii-san, by those bastards...!
I understood. I understood that my blood was going into a frenzy.
Clenched in my fist, the butterfly knife that my brother had given me was trembling.
Click. Click...
"There's one more thing."
The girl's voice became slightly clearer.
"In this matter, I made one miscalculation. I read your personality wrong. I thought that you had a very obedient character."
"...What is that supposed to mean...?"
"'I will hand myself in to you without struggling. But in exchange, do not hurt any Butei High students, especially Tohyama Kinji.' -- is what you agreed. And I kept to your conditions. However, you secretly -- called him."
Her last words, changed their target.
Clearly, she was speaking directly with me.
--So I've been noticed already--
This thought flashing into my mind, I—
"Shirayuki, run!"
—shouted, and charged towards Shirayuki.
I had gone mad. Well, if I had gone mad, I was only half mad.
I hadn't charged in without thinking at all.
Judging from her voice -- I know the enemy's rough location.
I want to try and force the enemy into submission with one move.
This is the ammunition dump, after all.
I may not be in Hysteria Mode, but the enemy can't use guns.
There was about 50 meters between us. I can cross that in 7 seconds.
She only has 7 seconds to grasp what weapons I have, decide whether to run or fight, prepare her weapons, and assume a defensive stance -- how could anyone do that?
"Kin-chan!?"
Shirayuki's scared voice echoed throughout the warehouse.
"--No, don't come! Run away! Butei cannot beat Choutei!"
Following that cry, more like a wail-
Next to my foot--
Kch!
Something, moving at a speed my eyes could not possibly perceive, hooked my foot.
"Woah!?"
The *Thud!* from my fall echoed around the warehouse.
Next to my foot was a beautifully curved, silver blade.
I've seen this in the Assault textbooks -- It's called a Yataghan, a French blade. It was in the section for ancient weaponry, a blade meant for fencing.
"'l'anse de la Pucelle' -- I'll make you taste the shame of those who are shackled, Butei."
In the wake of her voice, from within the blade, some sort of white stuff was leaking out. I knew nothing about it besides that it was white, but with a *crackle*...*crackle*, it firmly stuck my calf to the ground.
I-I can't move.
"--Wha-!?"
That white stuff started to reach up my thigh, preventing me from standing up.
What is this...!?
It's cold.
...Ice...!?
I didn't see anything on the blade. And the floor by my feet was ordinary cement.
How did she do it?
I can't stand up anymore.
--I was firmly stuck to the floor by the ice.
"My bloodline has always walked in the light, but that substance belongs in the darkness within the darkness -- I am a much more proficient tactician than any counselor. And so, the thing I hate most in this world is 'Miscalculation'."
After this enemy, who I had never seen before until now, spoke, *Pa* --
The emergency lights inside the room went out.
I was completely wreathed in darkness.
"...N-no! Stop it! What are you doing! --Uu...!"
Clink Clank...!
From Shirayuki, I heard the noise of iron.
The enemy is moving.
"--Shirayuki!"
But even with my call, Shirayuki -- didn't answer.
What happened? What happened to her?
I was extremely anxious, but --
Stuck to the floor by ice, I could do nothing.
Th-This isn't the first time.
I haven't been able to do anything yet.
I'm not saving Shirayuki, I'm just making things worse.
And from the start, that was all I'd been doing. From the time I started being Shirayuki's bodyguard.
I had no way of assessing the situation, I made no preparations, and just whittled my time away. But when something really happens...I, still unable to think of anything, came here, just causing her more trouble.
Even with my eyes wide open, looking at Shirayuki in danger, I could do nothing.
I could only spectate as the situation grew worse and worse--!
Kch!
The sound of another blade cutting through the air reached me.
Even in the darkness, I understood.
That is the blade that is meant to kill me--!
Fyuu - The sound of the other blade came from behind me -- Clank!
And in the air, it burst into sparks.
I...
am still alive.
What happened?
Just now, what happened--?
"It's time to switch out."
As if cutting the darkness and despair in my soul, a voice rang out.
Chh. The warehouse became slightly brighter.
That light -- *pa, papa, papapapapap*
As if trying to surround this warehouse, as big as a sporthall, lights continually flared up.
The darkness from just now, not even allowing me to see my own hands, was replaced by blazing light.
"You're there, aren't you 'Durandal' --! For the crime of abducting minors, I'm taking you into custody!"
*Click*, stepping on my back and head while striding forward -- was someone wearing Butei High's sailor school uniform,
"Aria!?"
"Holmes, hmm?"
That unseen girl's voice came out of the shadows.
And any sign of Shirayuki...had disappeared. It looks like she was forced into another part of the warehouse.
The empty space in that stack of ammunition.
Kich Kich! Two of the blades flew through the air, towards Aria.
Aria, watch out!
She immediately spun her own wakizashi around like a whirlwind, deflecting the two blades.
"How many more are you going to throw at me? You're like one of those baseball machines."
Aria raised her blade in a batting position --
Clatter...
The sound of a door closing reached us from somewhere.
...After a while, there was still silence...
"Looks like she ran away."
Aria turned her head, and threw aside the blade that was stuck into the ground next to me.
And afterward, she crouched down by my head.
"Well, it looks like Idiot Kinji has some uses after all."
"Wh-what does that mean?"
"If you are brave, be brave. If you are pretty, act pretty. If you are noble, act noble. And if you are an idiot, just be an idiot -- there's a saying like that, right? So the best thing for Idiot Kinji to do is go into Idiot Kinji Mode."
...I didn't think that she'd be able to say idiot five times after just appearing.
Also, don't crouch down in front of my face.
To avoid looking up her skirt, I moved the only thing I could, my neck, and turned to one side.
Aria stood up, and she started running over to the pile of ammunition, checking on Shirayuki -- Squeak.
The sound of her sneakers suddenly stopped.
"...?"
I raised my head to look over.
Only to see Aria take a step back hurriedly, and raise her blade towards the air.
And she sliced something that I couldn't see.
"...What is it?"
"It's a steel wire. To be more precise, it's a TNK steel wire. Exactly where my head was."
Whoosh. Aria, turning to look around, swung her blade again.
"And this one is at your height. If you had run towards her, your carotid artery would have been cut. She was probably planning to kill you with this if the throwing knife didn't hit."
"Sh-she's really cunning...I didn't think she would manage to bring Shirayuki away while setting these traps up..."
"But, all this is useless. It cannot escape my eyes."
said Aria, full of confidence. She picked up the blade that she had thrown aside just now, and walked towards Shirayuki's.
--And, she immediately returned to crouch by my side.
"How is Shirayuki?"
"She isn't hurt. But she's tied up. We're going to help her, you come as well."
Aria, finishing what she was saying, placed her knee onto my body. Scrape, Scrape.
And used the edge of her blade to scrape away the ice holding me to the floor.
"Aria...After you disappeared, what happened?"
"'Durandal' was watching Shirayuki from somewhere we couldn't see. Also, I could sense that she was getting closer and closer. But, if Reki and I were there, she definitely wouldn't attack. So I gave up on being a bodyguard on purpose."
"After the fight with me in Assault...leaving, was that planned as well?"
"Butei Charter 2. You must fulfill the contract in the commission. I will never give up. You, sleeping on the roof, really made me angry, but I thought that it was a good opportunity."
Crack. Aria chipped off the ice by my elbow as well.
"'Durandal' is one of the few spies in I-U. As long as you are the only one carelessly guarding Shirayuki, she won't pay any attention to me. You look unsatisfied. Is there a problem?"
Finally regaining my freedom of movement, I faced Aria, who had basically been calling me an idiot the whole time...I'll hold off on my sarcastic comments for now.
After all, she did save me.
"The enemy--seems to have disappeared. Looks like she ran."
According to the map I saw on the handbook, there should have been no way to move to any other floors from this room.
"If there is more than one enemy, she will keep her distance, and think of a way to split up the opponents---and take she will take them one by one. That is how Durandal fights."
I see...Then, were Shirayuki and I separated according to her plans as well?
"The only thing is, when a tactician's plan is broken, she will be inclined to reduce everything to 'nothingness'. So, she might come back to kill Shirayuki. First, we have to get Shirayuki to safety."
Aria finished speaking and stood up, pulling my sleeve towards where Shirayuki lay.
Shirayuki, by the wall of the warehouse, was restrained by manacles.
Her mouth, bound by a piece of cloth, continued to emit sounds like "MMPH."
I took the gag out of her mouth,
"Kin-chan, are you alright!? You aren't hurt, are you!?"
...She continued to selflessly worry about me.
"I'm fine. You should be more worried about yourself..."
I said, lifting up the lock around Shirayuki's chest.
From every angle, the lock looked like a giant, heavy hamburger. And there were 3 successive locks, a setup some called a "Drum Lock". It's very rarely seen, and it was binding her extremely tightly.
Aria and I took out our lockpicking tools from the Butei toolkit, and we tried to pick the lock--
However, the structure of the locks were too complex, and we couldn't even open one of them.
"Kin-chan...I'm sorry...If I didn't hide it from everyone, and come here dressed like this...she said she would blow up Academy Island, and kill Kin-chan..."
Hearing this, feelings of agony once again surfaced in my heart.
I--without me even knowing, I was treated as a hostage?
"When did she say this to you?"
"Yesterday...when Kin-chan went to buy the fireworks, she sent me a message threatening me...I was scared that Kin-chan would be hurt...and so, I accepted...uu....Uuu..."
"It's fine now. Don't cry."
So, that was when--huh.
No wonder Shirayuki was acting so strange when I returned.
"Aria...I'm sorry. I've been treating Aria so badly...yet you came to save me..."
Hearing Shirayuki's words, Aria went "Hmph," and her cheeks reddened a little.
"I-I...was only protecting you because of the contract. And my real goal is only the capture of Durandal. There's no need to thank me."
Saying this, she pulled at the chains binding Shirayuki, moaning.
What you're saying and what you're doing is really contradictory...Well, right now, that isn't important.
But anyways...there's no way I'm going to be able to open this lock.
If Shirayuki was using her inhuman swordsmanship, then maybe--but Shirayuki is the one that is bound, and her katana has been taken.
I'd like to cut the chains connecting her to the wall, but it would be impossible to move that without heavy machinery.
Aria investigated the links in the chain to see whether there were any weaknesses...
and she asked Shirayuki,
"Did you see Durandal's face?"
"No...she was always hiding inside the shadow of the mountain of ammunition. And even when she escaped out that door, I couldn't see what she looked like."
Shirayuki's eyes motioned towards a door, leading up the roof, and Aria put on an expression that said "As I thought."
"...That's to be expected. Durandal would never let anybody see her appearance."
From what Aria said, it appears that she already knows a lot about Durandal from all her research.
And so, I asked something that I had been curious about the entire time.
"Aria. Just now, that ice..."
The ice that held me to the floor.
At the beginning, I suspected that she had used liquid nitrogen, but that can't be it. When I was in Assault, I used liquid nitrogen to freeze time bombs. However...it was a completely different method.
Aria--
"She has an ability,"
she said straightforwardly, giving me the answer I least wanted to hear.
"Yeah, about that...If we measure her by governmental standards, she's a type III ability user--She could possibly be called, a magician."
Shirayuki's in depth explanation made me frown.
Magician...huh?
"Impossible..."
"It's completely possible. Recently, the elite Butei have been getting used to these kinds of situations. Our school has the SSR too, right?"
This...I understand. I just wanted to clarify.
The SSR.
Shirayuki was in that department, undergoing extremely strict training in areas like divination, ability investigation etc. Many methods of abnormal investigation are researched there.
But the SSR is the one class about which every piece of information is highly classified, so all those with no relation to it only know the basic details.
And obviously, I, who wanted to become a normal person, tried my best to stay away from that most abnormal of worlds. Even in rumours, I had never heard of anything like magicians, who I thought only appeared in games.
"There's nothing frightening about it, Kinji. The power of ability users, from my experience--is only at the level of street magicians. They're no match for bullets."
"But, she has a special ability. She might even have an attack that we don't know about."
"You're really cowardly. I hate it when Kinji is like this. But...Well, relax. I haven't taught you how to 'awaken' by yourself yet, so you can sit this one out. I can take care of her by myself."
As if refuting Aria's words...
Rumble--!
A deep noise echoed through the underground warehouse.
We looked around, hurriedly--
Gurgle, Gurgle...
Water was not draining out the holes in the floor--it was rising up through them.
The amount of water flowing out continued to increase, and within a minute, it had already turned into a fountain.
The rising water started to creep around our feet.
"...It's seawater."
Aria said, twitching her nose like a rodent.
"Yeah. There's probably a malfunction in the water pumps."
The water went from our feet...to our ankles. And from our ankles, to our calves.
It continued to rise.
This isn't good.
At this rate, even inside this warehouse, which is as big as any sporthall--within 10 minutes, the whole place will be submerged.
Although that's more than enough time for Aria and I to get out through the stairs to the roof, we couldn't leave Shirayuki behind.
Tactician...huh.
"...That girl really is a tactician, Aria. It's been discovered."
Aria didn't answer, and she continued to look at the water, slowly panicking.
"Discovered...what are you talking about...?"
Hearing Shirayuki's question, Aria's face turned bright red. She raised her head and glared at me, as if saying, "Don't you dare."
But...seeing the current situation... Forgive me.
"Tsuduri said this before, Aria can't swim."
"Th-that's not it. I-if there's a life ring, I can still...!"
"...Why would that sort of thing be here? Aria, go up first."
"I...I can't! Leaving you alone and running by myself, I won't do it!"
"That's not it, this isn't running away, it's attacking first. Quickly, go up. Steal the key back from Durandal--Even if you stay here, you won't be able to open this lock. You should know that by now."
"...Bu-but."
"Only you, whose battle ability is high, can take care of that girl quickly! I don't have any experience fighting against Choutei, only you can do this! ...Quick! Every second counts!"
Thinking back to the basics of Assault, I made my decision.
Aria looked at Shirayuki again, worried, and then she took another look at the water, already at her thighs--finally, she gave her own lockpicking tools to me.
"...I understand. But, if you can't take it anymore, call me, understand?"
Even if I call you, we still won't be able to open this lock--
All three of us understood this.
Alright, I answer Aria, who was turning around hesitantly.
The water continued to rise, furiously.
The lock on Shirayuki was still unpickable.
It will only be 5 minutes before the entire warehouse is submerged.
I searched through the water, hoping to find some sort of tool...but I couldn't find anything.
The water had already risen to around my shoulders.
What do I do...
What the hell do I do...!
"Kin-chan...Go,"
Shirayuki said to me, who could only stand there, doing nothing.
And, she strongly...smiled.
Even now, she still worries about me--
"...Don't say that."
"The Miko of the Hotogi are armed Miko. They are destined to sacrifice their body and soul for people. Kin-chan, run away, quickly. Just leave me behind..."
"How could I leave you here by yourself!"
When Shirayuki was about to answer me, who was shouting--
The water finally reached her mouth, and Shirayuki contorted her face, looking up in order to breathe.
"Don't worry, even if I die, nobody will be sad. The teachers and students may praise me, but those that really like me...don't exist--Fuah, they all...they don't like me, they just appreciate my powers as a Hotogi Miko...Fuah..."
Shirayuki was now thrusting her face up just so she could breathe.
My feet finally lifted off the flow, reaching the point where I had to swim to stay afloat.
"Shira...Shirayuki! Aria will bring the key back immediately! Even if it's 1 minute, you have to endure! Breathe in deeply! The client has to listen to the bodyguard! I'll think of a way to get rid of the lock--"
"Your contract! It's void! Run away--live on...!"
"Shirayuki...! Aaah, Fuck...the reason this happened...it's all my fault...!"
"Kin...chan, this isn't your fault!"
With that final sentence.
Shirayuki--
Closed her eyes, and submerged herself.
"Shirayuki--!"
Shirayuki's hair, inside the water--floated around, powerless.
She seemed to have resigned herself to her fate already, and she was dipping her head, not looking at me.
"Shirayuki...!"
Do you really want to die?
You want to die just so I'll leave you and go?
After dispelling the contract, you still said, "this isn't your fault," trying to protect me--
"How could this not be my fault...!"
Thump! I smashed my fist into the wall.
How could I not be in the wrong.
This is my fault.
The reason things became this way. All of it, all of it is my fault.
I didn't listen to the warnings, I didn't guard against the enemy, and I just sat around idly while things got worse--
Of course all of this is my fault!
Things have already come this far...I.
Decided something.
--Shirayuki.
You've always been very obedient to me.
Now that I think about it, everything I've said has been utterly selfish.
But now, it's time for me to hear your words.
You have three requests of me.
1. This is the one you said just now,
You said, "Live on".
Fine.
I will live on.
How could I die in this kind of place.
I will live on, and live on, and continue to live. I will defeat Durandal, and all of Aria's other enemies.
And afterward, I will return to my normal, peaceful life.
--Also.
Your second request.
You told me this. I remember. It was the night when I started being your only bodyguard.
You said, "Protect me."
At that time, we didn't know of the enemy's existence. So, what you said back then was meant to be inconsequential. However, I responded, with a "Yeah."
I have--to protect you, the final trump card--the power.
Even if I have always, always, been running away from that.
Something that I haven't even told you, my childhood friend.
But ultimately, at the end, my body still holds that final power.
During the plane-jacking, it was only partially of my own will. At that time, to escape the notice of the enemy, I sealed Aria's lips. More importantly, at that time, if I didn't change, I would die.
But, now--
The reason I choose to use this power now is not responsibility.
Aria said, I can sit this one out. Shirayuki also said, the contract to protect her is void.
So I, in terms of responsibility, if I were to run away, I would not be breaking anything.
Even if it would leave me with a lifetime of regret, I could choose not to use this power.
But, I.
For the first time since my brother died, I have decided to use this power.
I have decided to use what is hidden in my body, the final trump card--
Hysteria Mode!
Shirayuki, you said "Your contract! It's void!" right?
" Fuck that! "
I roared, sucking in a deep, deep breath.
I continued until my face turned red. Until my lungs were about to burst. Until I could not breathe more in.
Like that, I breathed, I breathed -- I breathed in, deeply--!
Splash.
I dived.
I grabbed hold of Shirayuki's arms, which were powerless, hanging in the water.
Shirayuki's big eyes were so shocked that they opened even wider, she was shaking her head wildly inside the water.
And her eyes were blinking, giving me a flash signal.
"Don't die. Don't make up for it like this."
It seems that she thought I would prefer to have a lover's suicide with her.
...As expected of Shirayuki's thought patterns.
But, you're wrong. You're wrong, Shirayuki.
You had three requests of me.
There's still one more I haven't mentioned.
It's -- "Kiss me."
I'm sorry that I have to do it like this.
But your wish--is my command!
I only returned two words to Shirayuki, using flash signal.
"Breathe in"
After I did, I immediately--
Embraced Shirayuki.
"!"
I locked my lips with hers.
Shirayuki's lips--
I deserve to burn in hell for comparing, but compared to Aria's--it was even more gentle.
Hss. In the air that she sucked out of my mouth, a little of Shirayuki's, sweet, peach aroma was mixed in.
...Ahh.
I understand.
I understand that Shirayuki is breathing.
And--
I understand, the Kathump, Kathump...This is.
My heart, pounding.
My blood, aroused, used my lips as a starting point, and it rushed through my body--gathering at my core.
I never thought that I would do this with her, my childhood friend.
This action filled my body with excitement, gradually heating my body up.
It's as if all the time I had spent with Shirayuki, from when we were kids, was compacted into a ball of scorching heat. In my core, in my core, it burned within me, a throbbing ache--!
Aah...
I'm changing.
I'm entering, Hysteria Mode...!
Gurgle. Gurgle...Gurgle.
Air came out of Shirayuki's mouth.
She can breathe.
Our lips still together, I let her breathe once, twice--before I left.
I dived down below Shirayuki's chest, and I reached my hand towards the drum lock.
I concentrated, and re-inserted the lockpicks.
If the water reaches the ceiling, I won't even be able to go up for another breath.
From my calculations, there should be 3 minutes left--No, not even 3 minutes.
In my normal mode, picking the lock would take 12 minutes.
But, just through the feeling in my fingertips, I could understand all the workings inside the lock as if I were seeing them--
--Click--
In just 10 seconds, this lock that Aria and I had so much trouble with, was opened by me.
Number 2 was opened as well. After I had taken another breath--I gave Shirayuki some air as well, and took out the tools in the Butei Toolkit in the chest opening of her Miko outfit--
Number 3.
Click--
Following this light click, the enormous drum lock binding Shirayuki came loose.
That heavy lock slid down the wall with a rattle.
Shirayuki and I headed upwards,
--Fuah!
We surfaced at the same time.
It's a relief that I managed to do it.
Although our heads were about to hit the ceiling, the warehouse hasn't been completely submerged yet.
"Kin-chan!"
Shirayuki, splashing through the water, tightly embraced me.
"--Shirayuki. Just now, you said it. You said "It's void."
Ah, I'm such an idiot.
Why am I using such a deep, alluring voice.
Also, don't look at her so directly. You poser!
"Ah...Yeah."
I used my wet hands to lightly touch her cheek by her ear.
And at the same time, I used my thumb to brush away a strand of her black hair.
"This has nothing to do with the contract. I want to protect Shirayuki. Because it's Shirayuki, I want to protect you--No matter what. I hope that my burning, burning feelings...that Shirayuki will accept them."
My soft voice was like a whisper, but I was still able to say it so clearly.
Shirayuki's grateful expression took on a look of surprise--
She furiously
Nodded.
But that head, with a thud--
Smacked the ceiling.
Oh right. This isn't the time to say such sweet words.
This is a bad habit of mine after entering Hysteria Mode.
We have to go up a floor immediately.
"Bu-but, Kin-chan. The opponent is a magician, I want to fight as well."
"You're such a brave girl."
Seeing Shirayuki's eyebrows shoot up, I chuckled.
Although I don't wish to let Shirayuki get into any more danger, it isn't a good idea to go against a woman's determination.
"I hope it doesn't happen--but, if I am really unable to handle it, you can help. Aria and I are fronts. Shirayuki is--support. We're counting on you to give us all you have."
Alright, I've played all my cards.
Right now I have to meet up with Aria, assault, and--
capture that unseen agent--Durandal.
The opponent is a tactician, and also an ability user. A normal Butei can't match her.
But, we are far from normal Butei. We have Quadra Aria, the me in Hysteria Mode, and Shirayuki in support.
With these three cards--even if the opponent is Durandal, we definitely match her. No, we are above her in power.
I was thinking this while pushing this on the emergency valve leading to the upper floor.
The water had pretty much reached the ceiling by now.
Clank. I opened the triple-layered steel valve, and to avoid being sneak attacked, I used my knife as a mirror to look at the situation above. It should be fine. When I had just thought this--the door appeared to have a device attached to it--Rumble. A muffled explosion tore through the entire underground warehouse.
"...Kch!"
The water suddenly rose.
My submerged eyes scanned the extent of the roof to the floor. The raging torrent forced us onto the floor of the level above.
"Kyaa--!"
Shirayuki, forced onto level 6, slid on the slippery ground with a "Kyaa!"
"--Be careful, Shirayuki! Take out your secondary sword!"
"Ah...Yes."
I wanted to go after Shirayuki, who had been flushed into the darkness--but right now, the most important thing is to stop the flow of water.
Unable to let go of the valve, I tried to close it against that enormous amount of pressure.
"Uu...NNGGHHH!"
I used all my strength to push the door, and with a *Thump* It finally closed.
Fu...
I finally--sealed the water.
If I were in Normal Mode, there's no way I'd be able to do this.
"--Shirayuki."
There was no answer.
"..."
You can't mean that...
She noticed the enemy's tracks, and now she's trying to avoid detection.
After all, Shirayuki's role now is support.
I looked around the level, the water already around my feet--forming countless walls was a huge computer, the HPC server--it's known as the supercomputer room.
Emergency lights were constantly flashing, all around me.
But...there were no signs with "Danger" or "Caution".
I drew my Beretta and ejected the magazine, blowing out the water that had permeated the gun.
The current generation of guns won't become unable to fire just because a little water got in.
I was feeling a little sorry for Informa and Connect, but the ban on my gun had lifted.
The supercomputer components were like a barrier. Basically, it formed a maze.
Although I don't need to be as cautious about things flying towards me around corners, I can't be sure of the enemy's location.
In the corridor formed by wires and silicon--I lightened my footfalls, and ran.
I raised my gun as we were taught in interior-combat classes, and moved like soldiers in the special forces.
Two, three--
I stayed cautious while turning corners, keeping to the walls.
"--Kinji."
I met up with Aria.
She appeared to have heard our voices, and returned from within the elevator room.
"I'm glad you're alright..."
I lowered my gaze, and put my gun to one side.
Aria, seeming to feel extremely guilty about leaving the warehouse first, saw that I was alright, and her face relaxed.
However, once she reached my side, she looked up at me with her Eichornia eyes.
"--Why didn't you run. I said you could 'sit this one out', right?"
She softly rebuked me for going against her orders.
"I'm not as irresponsible as to leave the cute maiden, Aria, by herself."
"...Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"
Grr. Seeing Aria bare her canines as usual, I relaxed, and answered,
"Once I thought that Aria might want to see me--I couldn't stop myself from coming."
"We-we-we're already in this kind of situation, and you say that?"
On my face was a smile worthy of Shiranui, making Aria breathe in and out, her cheeks reddening as usual.
The time from normal to full-blush was a mere 0.5 seconds. Congratulations on your new record, Aria.
"Nevermind that, Aria, where's Durandal?"
"...I haven't found her yet. That coward doesn't have the guts to face me."
"--Is that so."
"However, I can confirm that she's hiding in this room. The locks on all the doors leading up are broken, and the elevator doors are sealed. Also, this was all done from inside."
Aria, concentrating again, explained the situation to me. It looks like she really hasn't faced the enemy yet.
"Oh right, I heard her voice just now...Shirayuki was saved too, right? She isn't hurt, is she?"
Looks like Aria really was worried about us, so she confirmed the situation with me.
She really is a good girl. She has such a heavy sense of responsibility.
"Yes. But, we got split up just now. If we split up, we'll be walking into the enemy's trap. We have to rejoin Shirayuki."
I had just spoke, when—
--Ku, Ku Ku
—I heard a weak coughing noise.
It was a soft noise that even the me in Hysteria Mode could barely hear, but Aria, who seemed to have the senses of an animal, turned her head around.
"It's Shirayuki. She's over there."
"Let's go. But, Durandal might attack. Aria, I'll be your shield,"
I said, stepping in front of Aria, going towards the noise.
As I brushed past her, I saw something out of the corner of my eye--
Aria's camellia eyes opened wide, as if she had noticed something about me.
We found Shirayuki immediately.
She was in the only clearing in the HPC server room, the elevator lobby.
She had wandered into one of the roads by it, hiding in the shadow of one of the computers, nearly 3 meters tall.
Thump. Shirayuki was lying on the floor like a mermaid--
She probably ingested some seawater as she was carried by the current, and she was grasping her neck and coughing.
"...Ku, Ku ku...Wh-where's the enemy...?"
"We haven't found her yet. Shirayuki, don't leave us."
Shirayuki nodded her head at Aria, who was bending down.
"Kin-chan..."
Shirayuki raised her head, and directed that half-weak, half-happy gaze at me.
Her soaked Miko garments were stuck to her body, exposing those sensual curves that a high-schooler should not have.
The me in Hysteria Mode could remember the form, color, material, as well as every little decoration as if I had taken a photo of it with my mind.
But--today, Shirayuki was not wearing that black underwear, and instead she seemed to be wearing thin armor.
"Just now, I didn't hurt your lips, did I?"
"No, you didn't."
I carelessly asked, making Shirayuki nod heavily.
"It's bleeding, isn't it. Let me see."
"There's no need. It's not serious, the skin just broke a little."
--So that's it--!
"Aria, run!"
While shouting, I fired at Shirayuki.
Shirayuki--seemed to have predicted this, and *Pa*--!
"!"
She used her wet sleeves to knock aside my hand, dodging the first bullet.
The bullet, hitting the floor, ricocheted and hit one of the huge computers, raising a shower of sparks.
"Kinji!?"
Shirayuki moved with a speed that normal eyes couldn't follow, quickly turning towards Aria.
Bang! Bang Bang Bang!
The Beretta that I had switched to burst-fire roared.
But, the bullets only hit the hem of her hakama.
Shirayuki took advantage of this situation and she bent down, sweeping around Aria until she was at her back.
And with a scraping noise, she drew the sword she had hidden under the computer.
Appearing from within the scabbard she had dropped in the lobby, was the katana that Shirayuki normally carried around with her.
But this Shirayuki--I could no longer attack her.
Because she was already using Aria as a body shield.
Aria was still unable to grasp the situation, but it seems that her animal-like senses allowed her to sense the danger.
"--!?"
Her hands drew her guns by reflex, preparing to turn around to face Shirayuki.
But her neck--
"Uu!?"
was grabbed by Shirayuki, her left arm snaking in from behind.
And in her right hand was the drawn blade, just--below Aria's ear, by her neck.
The Carotid artery.
If it's even cut a few millimeters, it will spurt out blood till the victim dies off blood loss. All within a few seconds. It is one of the most vulnerable spots on the body.
"Shira...yuki! What are you doing! What's going on!"
Shirayuki facing Aria, who was still holding on to one of her guns in her right hand--
Fu!
And blew across her right shoulder.
"Uwaah!"
Aria convulsed as if she had been struck by a branding iron.
And that fearsome M1911 dropped from her nerveless fingers.
Patter...Clatter.
The silver gun, having fallen, was quickly covered by water.
"Aria! No!"
I shouted.
"--That isn't Shirayuki!"
--Fu!
Shirayuki blew at Aria's left hand this time.
"Kyaa!?"
Aria, jerked forwards once again, and that jet black M1911 was released at well, her hands flying to her bosom.
Her hands--as if frosted, were covered by a layer of ice.
This supernatural scene filled my body with an instinctive fear.
Just now--the person that did this, was this Shirayuki.
Using her ability!
"--You're merely ordinary."
That voice was no longer that of Shirayuki's.
"Yet you dare challenge ability users. How foolish."
My senses...noticed that she was strange.
Because Shirayuki didn't listen to me. I told her to draw her secondary sword, but instead, she sat there coughing non-stop, holding nothing.
So, to confirm it, I asked her "I didn't hurt your lips, right?" wanting to see her reaction.
And just now--if it was the real Shirayuki, who knew what had transpired underwater, there's no way she would have remained calm, saying "No you didn't."
And, Shirayuki's lips weren't hurt at all.
Yet, she said that they were.
Forcing me to go to those lengths to confirm--this fake Shirayuki really look alike.
You could say they look exactly the same.
If I wasn't in Hysteria Mode, where my senses are heightened several times above normal, this Shirayuki, my childhood friend, would have completely tricked me. I would have died by her hands.
"...Durandal...!"
Aria, finally noticing her real identity, shook her hands, screaming.
"--Don't call me by that name. That name which others have given me, I don't like it."
"You...know my name, right! I am, Kanzaki Holmes Aria! Of the years that mother is charged with, 107 of them--are yours! I'll have you carry that sentence yourself!"
"Is that really something you should say in this situation?"
Fu. Durandal sneered at Aria, who was in her mercy.
"Anyways, your name--at most, it has 150 years of history, isn't it shameful to announce it like that? The history of my bloodline reaches much farther back than yours--It stretches 600 years, the history of the light."
Afterward, that face, still assuming Shirayuki's appearance, seemed to think Aria was laughable and she squinted, putting her lips by Aria's ear.
"So that's how it is, you're a Quadra, hmm?--It's as Lupin the 4th said."
Just now...she said the name, Lupin the 4th.
--That's Riko.
As expected, this girl is--the Butei Killer's, Mine Riko Lupin the 4th, ally.
I also thought that, without Riko's expertise, there's no way she could have disguised herself so perfectly.
"Aria. My great ancestor--the first Jeanne d'Arc, you're very similar to her. Both of you look so beautiful and cute, but inside, they were ferocious and brave--"
"Jeanne d'Arc...!?"
Aria savored these words.
(...Did she say, Jeanne d'Arc...!?)
Even I know that name. It's taught in History classes all around the world.
That was in the 15th century, the girl that led the French against the English during the Hundred Years War, the Holy Maiden of France. But her words just now implied that she was a descendant of that Jeanne.
...But...
The "Durandal" before my eyes could not be a descendant of Jeanne d'Arc.
Because no matter what one says, the ultimate fate of the Holy Maiden of Orleans was--
"You're lying! Jeanne d'Arc was burned to death...she died before she had reached her twenties! It's impossible that she might have any descendants!"
"That was a fake."
Ku. She laughed at Aria again.
"My bloodline is that of tacticians. She might have pretended to be a Holy Maiden, but in reality she was a Witch. We've always hidden the truth in the shadow of history, passing down the knowledge of that glorified name. And also, I'm the thirtieth. Jeanne d'Arc--the thirtieth."
Durandal--
If I believe what she says, she is Jeanne d'Arc.
"As you mentioned, my ancestor nearly died to the flames. So from then on, each generation has been testing this power."
Jeanne's hand reached towards Aria's thigh like a poisonous snake--and Aria's body shook once more from the pain.
"Kyaa!"
I could see a layer of ice on Aria's knee.
There's no doubt about it.
She's different from us regular Butei, she has powers beyond our imagination!
"Come with me, Aria. You, who were able to wound Lupin the 4th, come with me. Unless you'd like--to die? But in that event, I've already planned ahead."
"...Aria...!"
I switched my Beretta to single-shot and aimed at Jeanne's head, threatening her--But, there's no way I could open fire.
Butei Law article 9.
Regardless of the situation, a Butei cannot kill.
And after I opened fire, I just now understood. Her Miko garments are bulletproof. And apart from her head, the only thing that is exposed is her hand, holding the knife. However, if I fire at it, I'll hit Aria in the head.
That girl knows this, that's why she's standing like this.
What do I do?
Facing my frowning face was Jeanne--still keeping Shirayuki's appearance, smirking.
"Being able to see through my disguise, this isn't the normal you. I'm not able to fight with you evenly...but, your weakness right now is, 'female hostages', right?"
As expected of--a self-proclaimed tactician.
She's investigated that as well.
"Tohyama. If you dare to move, I will freeze Aria. Aria cannot move as well. If you do, I will freeze the part you move, without fail."
Hearing her, my heart was anguished.
She's right, the me in Hysteria Mode will place the safety of girls first and foremost.
"Kinji...Quickly, fire...!"
Where would you like me to fire, Aria.
The me as of right now could not possibly do it...!
"You said something, didn't you Aria? That means your mouth moved. I'm sure we won't need this venomous tongue."
Whoosh. Jeanne firmly drew the hand holding the blade across Aria's jaw--
And brought her own lips towards Aria's mouth.
--She's going to blow inside her mouth!
"Stop!"
I shouted, but I could do nothing.
If Aria is taken hostage, there's nothing I can...
"--Aria!"
A voice that didn't belong to me echoed within the room.
That normally humble and weak voice.
--Was now brave and full of power--
Kch! From behind Jeanne, the 3 meter tall computer, chains started snaking outward, wrapping around--while pressing against Aria's jaw, it had loosened--the hand that held the knife.
With a *Pa!*, the blade by Aria's neck was flung away.
"--!?"
Jeanne, still holding Shirayuki's appearance frowned, looking up towards the computer--
"Kin-chan, save Aria!"
Standing there was the real Shirayuki!
Shirayuki, well done!
Holding up the chains, she snatched the knife from the hands of the impostor.
And from the top of the computer, she caught the knife.
Just now, Aria saved Shirayuki--but now, it's Shirayuki saving Aria.
Butei Charter 1. Believe in your comrades and help each other.
These two people, who can find a way to raise hell over divination, actually start helping each other when a real situation arises--
Aria, Shirayuki.
Both of you are excellent Butei! Your tolerance is legendary!
The real Shirayuki descended--
Clank!
As if inserting herself between Aria and Jeanne, she slashed downwards.
Jeanne reacted immediately. She raised the resistant Miko garments, trying to block the blade with her sleeve.
But this movement was completely negated by Aria.
Aria, in the second she was released, bent forward, using her uninjured leg to strike Jeanne in the kneecap.
Jeanne's balance was completely destroyed, and she could only take a step back.
--My eyes under Hysteria Mode took in this 1-second exchange.
And I rushed forward to catch Aria, who was falling due to that maneuver.
Shirayuki, as if protecting Aria, stood in front of her.
Whoosh. Shirayuki raised her sword gracefully, pointing it towards the disguised Jeanne--
"Shirayuki--I never thought that you'd risk your life like this just to save Aria."
Saying this, from Jeanne's garments, meant to match Shirayuki's Miko hakama, something like a canister fell out.
Hiss-----! The white smoke emitted by the canister permeated the room, blocking all vision.
A canister releasing smoke--a smokescreen!
Beep.
Chi, Chi.
The automatic sprinklers on the ceiling detected the smoke, and started pouring out water.
Shirayuki, as if trying to evade the smoke that was released, stepped backward quickly.
"I'm sorry, Kin-chan. Just now I thought I'd be able to finish her...I didn't think she'd be able to escape."
"You did very well, as expected of Shirayuki. Aria, are you alright?"
"I...I miscalculated this time. I didn't think that there would be two Shirayukis..."
Aria, clutching her body, was trying to extend her hand.
There's no way she can fight, right?--I'm afraid that that was Jeanne's goal from the start.
And also...it might just be me, but I felt the room become colder.
"Shirayuki--can you remember two things for me?"
"Un."
"Do you remember placing a piano wire in Aria's wardrobe?"
"Wardrobe...? I definitely didn't do anything like that."
"And one more thing. Shirayuki, before, were you seen by Shiranui while doing the flower divination?"
"Hnh, ah, yeah..."
Hearing Shirayuki's embarrassed answer, I couldn't help but wrinkle my eyebrows.
"At the same time, I met another Shirayuki. So it seems that that girl was dressed up as Shirayuki all along, infiltrating Butei High. That's why she could observe us so closely--and break us apart. Aria. I'm afraid that the person who put that piano wire inside your wardrobe was Jeanne. You remember the steel wires from below, right? One can hide a tree in a forest--she used the hostility between you and Shirayuki, and placed a death trap."
Seeing me explain my reasoning so clearly--Aria's camellia eyes widened.
"Kinji...you...changed again...right?"
--That's right.
The me as of now is in Hysteria Mode.
Which from your point of view is, Awakened Mode.
I didn't answer, confirming Aria's question.
I'm not sure whether Aria gained some confidence knowing this, but she suddenly bared her canines and shouted,
"Durandal! --You said that you're Jeanne d'Arc? You cheap scumbag! You're nothing like your ancestor!"
From another direction of the smoke, from some place pretty far away--
"You're the same as me. Holmes the 4th."
There was a voice, answering Aria's taunts.
The place that was 'pretty far away', was the elevator lobby.
We had just spun around, rushing towards it--when we suddenly noticed.
It wasn't just me. The temperature in this room was decreasing rapidly.
From the within the mist, the water came down from the sprinklers, crystallizing in the air, floating like snowflakes.
This phenomenon was that of ice crystallization.
It was as if jewels were floating through the air, a breathtakingly beautiful scene.
But for us, this revelation struck a chord of terror within us.
That girl is--A witch, of diamond dust--
"Kin-chan...you protect Aria. Aria won't be able to fight for a while."
Shirayuki held her sword in front of her and backed up a few steps--then kneeled on the floor with one knee.
Her left hand was holding Aria's right hand.
"The witch's ice is like a poison. The only thing that can purify it is a priestess or--Miko. However, this ice is ranked from G6-G8, an extremely high power ice. With my abilities, I can heal it, but to return to normal...it would probably take at least 5 minutes. So during this time, protect her, Kin-chan. I'll take the enemy by myself."
"--What are you saying, Shirayuki. How could I let you fight by yourself?"
I continued to stay alert in case Jeanne attacked, and I stood in a position where I could protect the both of them.
"Kin-chan...you saying this makes me very happy. But now, please leave it to me, a Choutei. Aria, this will...hurt a lot. But, with this you'll be healed, so please endure the pain."
Saying this, Shirayuki started reciting a mantra or incantation.
She's probably concentrating.
An unseen power transferred from Shirayuki's hands to Aria's.
"...Ahh...! Uu...!"
It appears that accompanying Shirayuki's healing is agony, but Aria, not wanting to give our location to the enemy, endured the heavy pain, not making a sound.
The me in Hysteria Mode could not bear those moans any longer, and I turned my head around.
"Uu!"
Aria, biting on her sleeve, moaning, tossed her head back in agony.
Her fringe was tossed up as well, revealing the--X-shaped scar hiding below.
That was the scar that Aria received last month protecting me.
On a cute girl's face, it was a irremovable, eternal scar.
--Pain shot through my chest.
To the side, Shirayuki, finishing Aria's healing, retrieved something like a postcard from her sleeve.
She then placed it on one of the computers--and the surroundings warmed up.
Looking closely, it was a rectangular piece of Japanese paper, a charm with camellia Kanji and symbols covering its surface.
Under my discerning gaze, Shirayuki quickly stood up.
And Shirayuki walked towards the frozen mist, and as if it was a demon being exorcised, it wafted away from her.
I hadn't noticed until now, but our clothes were dried already.
Was this also due to an ability?
"Shirayuki..."
Seeing this scene, I made my decision.
I didn't want to let Shirayuki fight alone.
But.
There's no way I could leave Aria by herself.
--I'll leave this battle to Shirayuki, an ability user, just like Jeanne. After all, that is her own wish.
Seeing me back away a bit, towards Aria, Shirayuki--
"Jeanne."
Stepped forward, putting her body in front of Aria and me.
"You...surrender. I don't wish to hurt anybody. Even if it's someone like you."
Shirayuki clearly announced her intentions, but from within the mist we could hear a soft chuckle, going "Heh."
"You're laughable. An uncut diamond like you could never hurt me, who has received I-U's training."
"I am a G17 ability user."
This time--
We could hear a clear laugh coming from within the mist.
I don't really understand, but it appears that what Shirayuki said is earth-shattering for ability users.
"--Don't try and bluff me. I can count on my fingers, the number of G17 ability users in the world."
"You must have felt it too. When the Hotogi seal...was released from this cloth."
"...Even if what you say is true,"
Jeanne's voice seemed to be a little more panicked.
"There's no way you would betray the Hotogi. I'm sure you understand what that means."
"Jeanne--Finally, the tactician will die in the midst of her own schemes."
Shirayuki's voice become stronger.
"The person you're talking about is the one I've always been, the normal me. But the me as of now could not care less about any restrictions the Hotogi placed on me, I would break them all without a second thought--the only existence that can make me do that is standing by my side. It's you who doesn't know about the strength of my feelings."
Hearing Shirayuki's extraordinary words, Jeanne--fell silent.
Those who rely on plans, find unexpected things extremely hard to react to.
And now, the enemy's plan has one major flaw.
Because, this is a different Shirayuki than the one before.
The temperature has already returned to normal.
The smoke released from the smokescreen has already dispersed, and the sprinklers stopped, one by one.
"Then, let's find out. I've already predicted the possibility of a direct engagement. The higher G the Choutei is, the faster her spiritual energy wanes. If I can hold on, the victory will belong to me."
Jeanne, seemingly having reached a decision, was in another side of the dispersing smoke...
Finally, she stepped out and revealed herself.
The body, having already removed the hakama and all the Miko garments--as expected--was Western armor, covering sections of her body.
"Those restricting clothes that Lupin the 4th made for me are useless now."
Shii. The face that appeared from beneath the thin layer of smoke--
Those eyes, as slender and sharp as a sword edge, were like beautiful sapphires.
And her hair, formed into two strands, each a triple-braid, was a shining silver reminiscent of ice.
Totally contradictory to her ancient manner of speaking Japanese, Jeanne d'Arc was a foreigner with beauty akin to those stars in Hollywood.
"Kin-chan, starting now...don't look at me."
Her back still facing me, Shirayuki's voice trembled a little.
"...Shirayuki...?"
"Right now, I'm going to use Hotogi's heavenly arts. If Kin-chan sees me right now, you'll definitely think...that I'm terrifying. You'll think that...I can't stand it. You'll...hate me."
Saying this, Shirayuki placed her hand on the white ribbon on top of her hair.
Those fingers were also trembling slightly.
While stepping back half a step, I...
"Shirayuki--don't worry. There's only one thing that I cannot do."
For the sake of guarding against the battle that would soon erupt between the two Choutei, I stood in a position where I could protect Aria.
"I'll start to hate you? This is the only thing that I could not possibly do."
As if spurred onwards by my low voice-
Whoosh.
Her face, forcing a smile, turned around to look at me, and she released the white ribbon tied to her hair.
"I'll be right back."
And with a *Thud*, her wooden slippers moved forward. She raised her sword again.
But that stance--was different from her normal appearance.
Only her right hand was holding the hilt, close to the guard. As if showing it off, she raised the flat of her sword above her head.
It was an extremely strange stance that belonged to no school of swordsmanship.
"Jeanne. I won't hold back anymore."
"--?"
"I'm about to show you that which is hidden within the Hotogi Mikos, the sealed Kidoujutsu. We, like you, have been continually carrying on the name of our ancestor. Aria has 150 years. You have 600 years. And as for us...we have had 2000, long, long years..."
Clack--I thought that Shirayuki had clenched her sword--
The front of the sword, with a vibration, erupted into a camellia flame.
And as I watched, the flame flared up and covered the entire blade.
Lighting up the room, was an inferno--!
With this, I could not possibly think that the flame was caused by oil, or even a device releasing gas.
That--that was real.
Shirayuki's trump card, her special ability!
"'Shirayuki' is merely a fake name meant to hide my real one. My forbidden name, my real name is--'Himiko'[1]."
As she finished speaking, Thud!
Shirayuki kicked off the ground, bursting towards Jeanne like a rocket.
Jeanne, stunned for a moment by Shirayuki's display of her ability, suddenly bent down, Clank!
She used an exquisitely crafted Western blade, hidden behind her back, to deflect Shirayuki's full-force blow.
Ching! The blades collided--Jewel-like ice crystals flew off where there should have been sparks, scattering while being melted in that ferocious heat--
Shi--Shirayuki's deflected blade sheared through the computer beside her effortlessly, and without so much as a sound, she cut it in half.
Tap! Jeanne quickly put some distance between Shirayuki and herself.
She's obviously retreating--!
"Inferno...!"
On that breathtakingly beautiful face, an expression of filled with mixed fear and apprehension appeared.
The me in Hysteria Mode was able to understand.
She's afraid of fire.
Just now she said, the bloodline of Jeanne started exploring their capabilities because their ancestor was nearly burned to death.
And the reason they did so, was most definitely because they were afraid.
Each generation of that bloodline, due to the fear they felt, started researching their secret art, ice.
"That attack just now was one of the special arts of the Hotogi, Hinokagabi[2]. And next, is Hinokagutsuchi[3]--Your sword, I will shatter it."
Shirayuki once again brought that blazing blade to her head.
It was as if she was holding a sword made of flame.
So that's how it is, this stance was created for the purpose of keeping Shirayuki's flames from hurting herself.
"This is the end. There's nothing that my Irokaneayame cannot cut."
"That's my line. My holy sword Durandal can cut anything."
Jeanne, facing off against Shirayuki, seemed to be focusing all the courage in her body into the broadsword.
It's an ancient, yet awe-inspiring Western broadsword.
The sapphire embedded into the guard of the sword shined in the blazing light of Shirayuki's inferno.
Step! Shirayuki leaped forward once again--
But from my point of view, she was rushing for the win.
Ching! King! Their swords continued to clash, raising an unimaginable clamor.
Everything that Shirayuki's and Jeanne's blades touched were ripped apart like they were made of paper.
The gigantic computers, as well as the shelves holding them, the bulletproof elevator doors, the concrete floors, walls...everything.
But, there were still two things that had not been cut.
It was Shirayuki's blade, Irokaneayame, and Jeanne's holy sword, Durandal.
Those flashing blades, able to cut everything they contacted, after numerous exchanges and clashes, were still completely unmarred.
"This is...a battle of elite Choutei...!"
By my side was Aria, raising her head in shock.
"Aria."
I bent down, and asked her softly,
"Can you move?"
"I should...I'm nearly fine. But my gun is frozen to the floor, and even if I managed to remove it, it would be unusable. My guns are not resistant to frost. If I don't take it apart and maintain it, I won't be able to use it."
Aria regretfully dipped her head to look at the M1911, sealed to the floor by the ice.
"Let's make a plan."
Hearing my words, Aria, who normally worked alone, raised her head--violently.
And then she nodded.
Looks like the me in Hysteria Mode is a trusted partner for her.
"--We may wish to help Shirayuki, but if we don't help at the right opportunity, we will only hinder her. Aria, you said that you've captured ability users like Jeanne before, right? Is there a way to exploit one of her weaknesses?"
"Ability users as powerful as this...to be honest, I've never met them before. But, this battle...I don't think they'll be able to sustain this for a long time."
"Unsustainable for a long time?"
"The more powerful an ability user is, the faster their spiritual energy depletes. They use minimal amounts of energy when clashing with Butei...but when they meet one of their own kind, they will go all out, as demonstrated here. Therefore, their spiritual energy should not last much longer. At that time, we will strike."
"Are you able to recognize that moment?"
"From my experience, I should be able to. However, most of it is just instinct. Do you trust me?"
Aria's voice seemed to be a little uneasy,
My heart full of shame, I straightened my body, and gently patted her pink hair.
"Recently, I've been a complete idiot. Can you forgive me? I swear--as long as I live, I will trust you."
"A-as long as you live?"
"There might not be anybody in the world that trusts you, but as long as I live, I will stand beside you."
I looked into her camellia eyes, pouring out my deepest feelings...
Her face was already red, almost the same color as her twin-tails, but at that moment, Aria's...
cheeks turned a color akin to ripened strawberries, and she blushed even deeper.
Because her surprised face seemed to be pleased, I-
"Are you happy?"
"...Idiot Kinji...! Yo-you...even when you're in your Awakened Mode, you're still an idiot...idiot...!"
"Tell me. I want to know what you really feel."
I asked her this.
"............I-I'm...a little happy. Bu-but only a little!"
"If Aria is happy, then I'm happy as well. Then Aria, will you trust me?"
".....Uuu, Un."
Finally, Aria's gaze, like a child looking at an adult, met mine, and she nodded furiously.
It seems that she already feels that way about the me in Hysteria Mode.
"Then, we have faith in each other."
Hearing my decisive words, Aria's heart seemed to have been shaken, and she brought her lightly closed hands to her chest.
"With that, I hope that you can trust in yourself, and tell me the time to strike. Together, let's--capture Durandal."
During the time when Aria and I had newly re-established our trust--
Now...where Shirayuki had always had the advantage in the battle of flame against ice, for the first time, she seemed to be struggling with the opponent.
"--!"
Shirayuki's breathing seemed like it was just about to stop, and she gritted her teeth, charging forward with the sword in her hands.
Under this blow, with the full weight of her body behind it, Jeanne, with a *Thump*, was finally forced to the ground, falling against the wall.
But...
"Haa, Haa, Haa...!"
Shirayuki was already extremely exhausted. As if trying to prove that Shirayuki was nearly unable to breathe, the blade, wreathed in flames, was getting dimmer and dimmer.
"Throw your sword away, Jeanne--You, have, lost."
"Heh...Hehe."
Following Jeanne's chuckle, directed at no-one--Chi.
In a flash, ice particles appeared around her, moving like a thin mist.
Being hidden by that mist, she ducked under Shirayuki with a spinning movement.
Shirayuki tried to slash diagonally, but her blade, losing its flame--
Crashed into the wall with a "Kch." and stopped.
It was obvious.
Shirayuki has already used up all her energy--in these few minutes.
Aria was right.
Choutei are very strong. They have powers beyond a human's imagination. But, they are not good in extended battles.
The same goes for magic in RPGs. Those characters that are able to use devastating magic attacks--but once their mana runs out--
"Haa, Haa...Haa"
Shirayuki, still grasping the hilt of the blade with her right hand, fell to her knees.
She seemed to be as tired as somebody who had just finished running a marathon.
Clank. The blade still sticking into the wall, fell onto the ground, and Shirayuki's left hand felt the ground next to her for the sheathe...Chiiii, and for some reason, she sheathed the blade.
"How naive--you're as simpleminded as a rock. Not attacking my body, and only aiming for my sword. Breaking my holy sword, Durandal--is absolutely impossible."
Jeanne appeared to have regained her composure, and she pointed the edge of Durandal towards Shirayuki.
Has it not arrived...Aria, has it not arrived?
The moment where I can strike, has it not arrived?
"Ku...!"
I saw Shirayuki, who appeared to be hiding the sheathed blade behind her body, grit her teeth.
Shirayuki--!
I couldn't take it any longer, and was about to rush in when Aria grasped my hand.
"Not yet, Kinji...! Shirayuki still has it in her for one final blow...! It takes time to use her abilities...and I think...she's focusing her power right now...!"
Aria, whispering this to me, seemed to be convincing herself with those words as well.
Around Jeanne, who was raising her sword, ice crystals once again appeared, and they continued to float around her.
Also, within the blink of an eye, they swept over the room like a blizzard.
That bitter cold once again decreased the temperature of the room below freezing point--!
"Let's go, "Fleur de la glace d'Orleans[4]"--become diamond dust, and dance--!"
Behind the cloud of glittering ice crystals, Durandal, still in Jeanne's grasp, started to accumulate a blinding white light.
--Now--!
"Kinji, follow after 3 seconds!"
shouted Aria, Whoosh!
She drew the two wakizashis from her back, and rushed forward, just like a bullet.
--1 second.
Jeanne, focusing on battling Shirayuki, turned her head with an "Ah."
--2 seconds.
"A mere Butei dares to interfere!"
Jeanne gave into the cold fury gripping her, and she swung her sword diagonally, but quicker than that--
Aria used the tip of her blade to hook the Miko garments that Jeanne had tossed aside just now--Pa!
Those clothes, flying through the air, blocked the enemy's line of sight.
"--!"
Shi--! Aria continued sliding down on the ground like a football, curling up.
Still, Jeanne didn't stop.
But Aria, seemingly with an Aikido technique, predicted her enemy's movements and acted on it.
Kch!!
The flow of aquamarine light, caught the Miko garments--from above Aria's head--into its deathly embrace.
This really is like a scene from an RPG.
She formed the glinting ice crystals into a vortex, and she furiously fired it towards the ceiling.
The ceiling appeared to have sprouted a colossal ice flower, and it was completely frozen.
--3 seconds!
"Kinji, now! Jeanne can't use her ability anymore!"
I don't need to be reminded.
I slid on the frost on the floor, speeding forward.
Bang Bang Bang!
I fired my Beretta, which had been already switched to 3-burst fire, towards Jeanne's center.
Jeanne immediately pulled Durandal back, deflecting the 3 bullets.
But I had predicted that already. Because she's a master swordsman that's able to fight evenly with Shirayuki.
I--continued to pick up speed as I slid, preparing to enter close combat with Jeanne.
Contact gunfights--I had practiced this when I was in Assault.
We may have used riot shields during the practice--but, as long as the enemy has a way to defend against bullets, this method is useful. It focuses on using a hail of bullets to cause multiple impacts, overpowering the enemy.
"You're just a Butei!"
At that moment, Jeanne charged towards me, unexpectedly.
Aria's twin blades struck towards her feet.
Pa! Jeanne, having already predicted this, leaped over her attack, rushing down at me furiously.
Not only was she able to use the flat of her blade to deflect my bullets, but she also twisted the edge at an angle, coming directly at my head.
"--!"
That kind of superhuman move...didn't you lose your magic already?
And this slice was far faster than I thought.
Durandal's arc had nearly reached my head--
--at that moment.
For the me in Hysteria Mode,
Everything was moving in slow motion.
Methods of negating this danger...
There's still one.
That technique requires use of both hands.
But, I can't let go of my gun in the right hand.
If I were to compare this with chess, that gun in my right hand was the key piece of my entire strategy.
So with my unrestricted left hand, I--
"----!"
Caught the holy sword, Durandal.
--I used Edge Catching--
--Single Hand Version.
As the blade was speeding towards me, I found it extremely difficult. However, I managed to pull it off.
This is thanks to Hysteria Mode, as well as the training that Aria had been giving me.
"--!"
Thud--!
Jeanne, still holding on to Durandal, fell to my side.
"...How could there be, someone like this..."
Jeanne, seeing that her beloved blade was caught between my forefinger and middle finger...as I thought, still didn't lose her fighting spirit.
I kept holding her sword with my left hand, and pointed my gun at her neck with my right hand.
"--This is over, Jeanne. It would be a lot easier for all of us if you were obedient,"
I said, as if reprimanding a child--
"Butei Law article 9."
Jeanne responded.
I glanced away for a moment, chuckling.
She's right.
If I wish to keep Butei Law, I cannot attack her head.
"I haven't forgotten. Butei cannot kill people."
"Haha. You really are an amazingly intelligent young lady[5]."
"Y-Young lady...?"
I'm not sure whether she was embarrassed by this name, but Jeanne's face reddened.
"Bu...But, I'm not a Butei!"
she said, while putting more pressure on the sword.
Stop it already, young lady.
I already told you.
This match has been decided.
"Why?", you might ask--
Tap! Tap Tap Tap--!
In the wake of the continuous footfalls of wooden slippers--
"I'm not going to let you attack Kin-chan!!"
Shirayuki yelled, rushing towards us--inserting herself between Jeanne and I, right where Durandal was.
"--Hihi No Hotogikami[6]--!"
The blade, still sheathed, tore out of the scabbard with a ferocious scrape.
Crimson light flashed from within the scabbard, and brought along by the blade, it split Durandal.
A vortex of flame, looking like a gigantic flaming-tracer bullet, flared up, unstoppable, towards the ceiling--
Bang--------!!
The ice on the ceiling shattered into a thousand pieces, as if it had been hit by a grenade launcher!
Fuah...Fuah...
In the midst of the falling fragments, Jeanne's mouth fell open, completely stunned that Durandal had been broken.
"......!"
This was the final scene that lay before us.
It made Jeanne, who had no idea how to react to the situation, widen those sapphire-like eyes.
And stand there, in a daze.
"Durandal[7]!"
And suddenly, a shrill voice--Click!
rang out, handcuffing Jean's right hand.
"Uu--!?"
Jeanne looked at her own hand, at the handcuffs made especially for ability users.
I shouldn't need to say this.
This was the silver handcuffs that Aria bought on her first day as Shirayuki's bodyguard.
"You're under arrest!!"
Aria bounded over like a predator, Click! And clasped the handcuff over her left wrist as well.
I--
"Didn't I say so? 'It would be a lot easier for all of us if you were obedient.'"
I turned around and picked up the top half of the fragmented Durandal, removing it from the sight of Jeanne, who was in the process of getting her feet handcuffed by Aria.
She, as opposed to her behaviour--is like Aria, a well known young lady.
But, that confidence led to her capture.
Jeanne. Even as the end drew near, you still underestimated Aria and I--You underestimated us as just "Butei."
That is the sole reason for your defeat.
Because the Butei here are me in Hysteria Mode, as well as--Holmes the 4th in Partner Acquired Mode, Quadra Aria. We are by no means, just Butei.
Fu, I exhaled lightly...
And walked over to Shirayuki, who was lying down, exhausted, in the middle of the debris.
Shirayuki, meeting my gaze, quickly sheathed the blade, panicking a little.
"Kin-Kin-chan."
It looks like the first thing she's going to do is apologize.
I raised my forefinger, conveying "You shouldn't say that, right?"
"...Thank...Thank you."
Thank you?
I'll count it as a pass.
"Shirayuki. You did really well. The only reason we could capture Durandal--is Shirayuki's hard work."
"You....You...You aren't scared?"
"Scared of what?"
"Ju...Just now, my...that, that kind of thing..."
Shirayuki said, those smooth black eyes tearing up under her fringe.
It looks like she thinks that I'd be scared after seeing her ability.
Haha.
So she's worried about this kind of thing.
I, laughing gently, said to Shirayuki, who had an expression saying "You don't hate me...right?"
"How could I be scared. That was an extremely beautiful, extremely powerful flame. It was far more beautiful than the fireworks we saw before."
"Kin-chan...Uu...Uwaah..."
Shirayuki couldn't help but start crying, and she hugged me tightly--
I returned the hug, gently patting her back.
No matter how long, I will stay with you.
Until you calm down from being a crybaby.
I will always gently, gently...hold you.
Like when we were kids, I will comfort you, who was severely scolded for going out to see that fireworks festival.
That's right.
In that area, nothing about Shirayuki has changed.
But--she has become strong.
Strong enough to break out of the cage the Hotogi instilled on her own, strong enough to flap her own wings of flame, strong enough to fight for her own beliefs.
Shirayuki, sobbing while looking up at me, seemed to be calming down--
"After this...you can't disappear without a sound anymore, Shirayuki."
And once again, directly to her face, I smiled.
